¶ The dyctes and the sayings of the Philosophers other wise called Dicta Philosophorum ∴  
 woodcut of tired, pensive man looking off to his right with face leaning on closed right hand, man is wearing what appears to be a bib, he is holding a folded piece of paper, to his left is a desk with a closed and buckled codex, his office is messy, perhaps a reflection of inner turmoil   

WHere it is so that every creature by the bead of our lord god is born and ordained to be subject& thrall unto the stromes of fortune. And so in diverse& many sundry wyses man is plexed with worldly adversities. Of the which I anthony wide coil earl rivers sord Scales &c. Haue largely& in many dyfferent manners haue had my parte& of them revealed by thenfinite grace& goodness of our said lord through the mieane of the medyatryce of mercy. which grace evidently to me known& vnderstonde hath compelled me to set apart all ingratytude. And drone me by reason& {con}scyence as far as my wretchedness wolde suffice to give therfore singular loues and thankes& exhorted me to dispose me recouerd life to his service in following his laws& commandments& in satsfacyon& recompense of mine iniquytees& faults before done to seek& execute the works that might be most acceptable to him& as far as my fraylnes wolde suffer me I restend in that will& purpose. during that season I understood the Iubyle& pardon to be at the holy opostle saint james in spain/ which was the year of grace. M. CCCC.lxxiij. Than I detremyned me to take that viage& shypped from Southampton in the mometh of Iully the said year/& so sailed from thence till I came in to the Spaynysshe see/ there lackynye sight of all lands the wind being good& the wedder fair. Than for a recreacyon& passing of time I had delight and arte to rede some good history/& among other there was that season in my company a worshipful gentleman called Lowys de Bretaylles/ which greatly delighted him in all virtuous and honest things that said to me/ he had there a book that he trusted I should like it right well& brought it to me which book I had never seen before& is called the sayings or dyctes of the philosophers. And as I understand it was translated out of latin in to frenishe by a worshipful man called messyre Iehan destouteuille provost of Parys when I had red and looked vpon it as I had time and space I gave thereto a very affection that in especial be cause of the holsom& sweet sayings of the pains which is a glorious fair mirror to all good christian people to behold and understand over that a grete comfort to every well disposed soul. It speaketh also vnyuersally to example well and doctrine of all knyges/ princes and to people of every estate. It lauds virtue and science. It blames vices and ignorance. And all be it I could not at that season nor in all the pylgremage time haue leisure to ouerse it well at my pleasure what for the disposition that be longeth to a taker of the Iubylee& pardon. And also for the grete acquaintance that I found there of worshipful folkes. With whom it was sitting I should keep good and honest company/ yet nevertheless it restend still in the desirous favour of my mind intending vetterly to take there with grete acquaintance at some other convenient time. And so remanynge in that opinion after such season as it listed the kings grace command me to give mine attendance vpon my lord the prince/ and that I was in his service when I had leisure I looked vpon the said book At the last concluded in myself to translate it in to the english tongue which in my judgment was not before. thinking also full necessary to my said lord the understanding therof/& leste I could not at all times be so well occupied or should fall in idleness/ when I might now and than fell in hand with all drew both the sentence& the words as night as I could. nevertheless I haue seen and hard of other of the same books which difference& be of other ymportaunce/& therfore I dread that such as should list to rede the translation and haue very intelligence of ony of those books either in latin or in french should finde errors in my work/ which I wolde not affirm by cause of the contrary/ but allege the default to mine vnconnynge with dyuersytees of the books humbly desiring the reformation therof with mȳ excuse/ and the rather syn after my rudeness not expert in my maner followed my copy and the ground I had de to spoken vpon as here after ensiewys?   


Sedechias  SEdechias was the first philosopher by whom thrught the will and pleaser of our lord god sapience was understand and laws received. which Sedechias said that every creature of good believe ought to haue in him syxten virtues.¶ The first virtue is to dread& know god& his aungelles.¶ The second virtue is to haue discretion to discern the good from the bad& to use virtues& fle vices.¶ The thyrde virtues is to obey the kings or princes that god hath ordained to reign vpon him& that haue lord ship and power vpon the people. The fourth vetue is to worship his father& his moder.¶ The fifth virtue is to do justly and truly to every creature after his possibylyte.¶ The sixth virtue is to dystrybute his alms to the poor people.¶ The seventh virtue is to keep& defend strangers& pylgrymes.¶ The eight virtue is to bind& determine himself to serve our lord god.¶ The ninth virtue is to eschew fornycacion.¶ The tenth virtue is to haue patience¶ The enleuenth virtue is to be steadfast and true.¶ The twelfthe is to be peaceable and attemperate& shamefast of sin.¶ The thyrtenthe virtue is to love justice.¶ The fourtenthe v{er}tue is to be liberal& not covetous.¶ The fyftenthe virtue is to offer sacrifices to our lord god almighty for the benefices& graces that he sheweth him daily.¶ And syxtenthe virtue is to worship god almighty and to put to him holy in his protection and defence for resistannce of the infortunytes that daily falls in this world¶ The said Sedechias said that right as it appertaineth to the people to be subgect& obeyssaunt to the royal majesty of their king or prince right so it be houeth their king or prince to intend diligently to the wele and governance of his people/ and rather to will the wele of them than his own proper lucre for by simylytude right so is the king or the prince with his people as the soul with the body.¶ And said yf a king or a prince enforce himself to gather money or tresor by subtle exortacyon or other undue means he ought to know he doth amiss. For such tresor may not be gathered without the sequel be to his danger or depopulacyon of his realm or country/& said Sedechias yf a king or a prince be negligent& slothful and take no hede to search and inquire the disposyon& works of his enemies thentent will and dede of his subgectes he shall not long be in surety in his realm.¶ And said the people is fortunate& happy that haue a good and a virtuous king or prince discrete and wise in sciences. And much are the people infortunate when ony of these things lack in their king or prince.¶ And said yf a king or a prince for sloth leave to do ony of little things that him ought& is ordained he should execute lightly after he leaveth greater undone and so consequently he may lese all right/ as a little sickness or hurt without it be sone& well remedied may cause the destruction of all the holy body.¶ And said yf a king or a prince believe the fair words and flattering of his enemies having no respect to their works it is marvel but the said king or prince thereby suddenly take harm.¶ And said it aperteyneth to a king or a prince to inform his sone in virtue and science howe he shall govern his land after him howe he should be right wys to his people/ howe he should love& haunt his knights not suffering them to use to much hunting nor other idleness/ but instruct them to haue good eloquence and to eschew all vanytees.¶ And said it appertyneth to a king or to a prince. Yf he will haue ony nigh a servant first to know his guydyng and conditions and how he governeth himself in his house& among his fellows and yf he vnderstadde him of good condition and governance having patience in his adversity retain and take him than hardly and elles to beware of him.¶ And said Sedechias yf thou gave a very true friend that loveth the well thou ought to take him more in thy love and favour than ony of thykynnesmen desiring thy death for to haue the successyons yf the goods.¶ And said commonly every resamblaunce delighteth other.¶ And said he that will not be chastysed by fair and sweet words/ ought to he corrected by sharp and hard correction.¶ And said the greatest richesse is satisfaction of the heart.¶ And said he is not rich to whom riches lasteth not ne when they may be lightly take away but the best riches is that thing that dureth perpetually.¶ And said the obeystaunce done by love is more ferme than that that is done by might or dread.¶ And said that experience is a good chastyement.¶ And said the looking vpon the beginning of the work yf it be good giveth hope to the ending.¶ And said that good renown and famed is right profitable in this world the deeds therof avail in the other world¶ And said it is better a man to hold his peas than speck much to ony ignorant man& to be alone than to be accompayned with evil people.¶ And said when a king or a prince is evil tatched and vicious better is to them that haue no knowledge of him than to those that be greatest master in his house.  
¶ And said better is a woman to be barayn than to bear an evil disposed or a wicked child. And said the company of a poor wyle man is better than a rich ignorant that weeneth to be wise by subtlety.¶ And said he that offended god his creatours by greater reason he faileth tho other.¶ And said by leave not in him that said he loveth and knoweth truth and doth the contrary.¶ And said the ignorant men will not abstain them from their sensualytes but love their life for their pleasance/ what defence so ever be made unto them/ right as children enforce themself to eat sweet things and the rather that they be charged the contrary. But it is other wise with wisemen for they love their lives but onely to do good dedys and to leave idleness and the delectacyons of this world.¶ And said how many be compared the works of them that intend the perfection of the good things perpetual to them that will put their delices transitory.¶ And said that the wise men bear their greves and sorrows as they were sweet unto them knowing their trouble patiently take the end therof shall be to their merit.¶ And said that it is profitable and good to do well to them that haue deserved it/ and that is evil done to do well to them that hath not deserved it. For all is lost that is given unto them right as the divine falleth vpon the gravel.¶ And said he is happpy that useth his dayes in doing covenable things& taketh in this world but that/ that is necessary unto him and may not forbear. Aplyenge himself to do good dedys and to leave the bad.¶ And said a man ought not to be deemed by his words but his works. For commonly words ben vain but by the deeds is known the harm or the profit of every thing¶ And said whan that almesse is distrybute to poor indygent people/ it profiteth as a good medicine couenably given to them that be seek. But the alms given to the not indygent is as medicine given without cause.¶ And said he is happy that withdraweth his ere and his eye from all evil things.¶ And said the most covenable dyspence that ony man may make in his life it is that is set in the service of god and in good work.¶ And the second it that is spended in necessary things that may not be for born as meet drink clothing& for remedies against sickness.¶ And worst of all is that is dyspended in syn& evil work ∴   


harms.  HErmes was born in egypt& is as much to say as mercury/ and in Ebren as Enok. which was sone to Iareth the sone of Metufale the sone of Malaleel the sone of Caynan/ the sone of Enoes sone of Seth sone of Adam/ and was afore the great flood called Noes flood. After that fill there a neither little flood which drowned but the country of egypt onely a sore the which the said Hermes departed thence and went through all lands till he was four score year old and two. And with him had .lxxij. persons of dyvers tongues. which alway stered exhorted the people to obey our lord god/ and edified. Cviij. towns which he fulfilled with sciences. And was the first that found sciences of scoles& established to the people every clamat laws covenable and appertaining to their opinions/ to the which. Hermes the king in to dayes gave great audience& obeisance in all their lands and so dede then habytauntes of the Isies of the see/ he constrained them to keep the lawe of god in souynge trouth to despise the world to keep justice to win the salvation in the other world/ he commanded orisons and prayers to be said and to fast every work one day to destroy the enemies of the lawe to give alms to the poor goddes people/ that is to say to the feeble and Inpotent he commanded that pork flesh and camelys should be eaten and such semblable meats and commanded them expressly that they should keep thē for perjury he stablished many festes at certain seasons and ordained also dyvers persons to offer sacrifices at the rising of the son and somother at the first new mone/ and at the coniunctyon of the planets/ and also when the planets entre in to their houses/ and when they ascended and when they descended. The sacrifices were of many things that is to say of roses/ of flowers/ of grains/ of wheat of barley/ of fruits of grapes/ of lycours of wines.¶ And the same Hermes said that it was not recompense sufficient to thank god onely for the grace he hath sent vs.¶ And said O thou man yf thou dredest god well thou wouldest never fall in to the paths that bringeth man to harm.¶ And said make not your clamours to god as ignorant full of corrupt wylfulnes and be not inobedyent unto our lord god nor trespassoures to his lawe.¶ And will none of you do to your fellow otherwise then ye wolde be done to/ but be concordaunt and love to guider use fasting and orisons in pure and clene wills. Contreyne you to do good deeds humbly and without pride in such manner as of your works may grow good fruits/ and keep you out of the companies of thieves of fornyeacoures and of those that use evil work.¶ And said keep you that ye be not perjured/ and let trouth be alway in your mouth and swear not but ye and nay enforce you not to cause them swear that ye know will lie lest ye be parteners to their pariury and put your trust in god that knoweth all secrets& he shall Iuge you in equity at the grete day of judgment when he shall give renumeracyon to the good for their goodness and punish the evil for their wyckydnesse.¶ And said be ye certain that the redemptor our lord is the greatest sapience and the greatest delectation that one ought to haue of whom all goodness cometh& by whom all the gates of wit and understanding ben opened And god that hath loved his servants hath given them discretion& hath established prophetes and prophecyers& ministers fulfilled with the holy ghoost by the which he hath manyfestely shewed unto thē the secrets of the lawe/& the trouth of the sapience to thentent that they should eschew all errors and apply therein to all good dedys and said use sapience& follow the laws be merciful and garnish you with good doctrines/ think and look well vpon your works without hastynge you to mykyll and in especial when ye shall punish misdoers& yf ye use ony manner of thing likely to sin be not shamefast to withdraw you therefro& to take penance for the same for to give other example for yf it be not punished in this world it shall be at the grete day of judgment& such shall be tormented with grete pains without ony pity taken vpon them. And said correct you by yourself and follow the wise man learning of them good virtues and let all your desire be to win good renown& famed employ not your time& your mind in falsehood nor in malice/ and said look ye set noo baits to the noysaunce of ony body/ nor that ye seek their hurts by cautelles or subtyltes. For such works will not be hid but at the last they will appear ¶ And said constrain you to annex the love of god& of your faith unto sapience and yf ye do so all your life it shall be to you a grete profitable winning/ and of that noble virtue shall come unto you grete benefices than yf ye should assemble grete gold& silver or other treasours not durable/ for it shall be to you a grete rycesse in the other world that never shal haue end.¶ And said be all one within& without in that ye shall speak& beware that your words be not contrary to the thoughts of your heart.¶ And said humble& obey yourself to your king& your princes& worship the grete ministers under them love god& trouth& give true counsel to that intent ye may the more holy with your good penance be in the way of saluacyon.¶ And said yield loving unto our lord as well in your generation as in prosperity in your poverty as well as in your richesse.¶ And said ye shall bear hens none other thing but your works and therfore beware that ye iuge not unjustly/& desire rather to haue poverty in doing good works than rycesse in sin/ for richesse may soon be lost& good dedys shall ever abide.¶ And said beware of to much laughing and mocking ony person a l be it ye pyrceyue in him ony foul or evil tatche yet rebuk them not dyshonestely but think that god hath made you all of one matter& might haue made you as evil as he wherefore ye ought to thank his goodness that hath shewed you such grace& hath kept you fro mischief in times past and present and pray him of his mercy he will so keep you forth.¶ And said yf it fortune that the enemies of your faith will dispute with you by diverse and sharp saying answer them in sweetness& in humility praynge god to be of your counsel& that he will address all his creatures to the good faith for their {per}petuall salvation.¶ And said be scylent in counsel and be well ware what ye speak before your enemies leste ye resemble him that seeketh a rod to be betten with all.¶ And said ye may not be just without the dread of our lord god/ by the which ye attain help of the holy ghost that shall open you the gates of paradise wherein your ●oules shal entre with those that haue deserved ever ●astynge life.¶ And said esche we the company of tho●e that loveth you not of evil people of drunken men and ignorauntes. And when ye think ony good thought exsecute it& ye may incontinent leste ye be let or withdrew there fro by ony synystre or evil salvation.¶ And said haue noo envy thought thou se ony prosperity come to an evil man for his end shall not be good. And said make your children learn good in their youth or they fall to malice/ and so ye shall not sin in them.¶ And said worship and pray to our lord with a clene will and address all your desires to him and shall help and enhance you. What part so ever ye go and subdue your enemies under you.¶ And said when ye will fast make first clene your souls of all filth that your fasting may come of pure heart without ony evil cogytacyons which god reputeth wyle& as ye ought to abstain yourself fro meats so ought ye to abstain fro sin for it satyffyeth not to spare meats& do evil deeds.¶ And said in your young age visit our lords houses and let all your orisons be in swettenes& humility without pomps or pride/& when ye be most merry in your houses with your folkes haue in remembrance of our lords poor indygent people and depart unto them your alms.¶ And said give comfort to innkeepers to them that be in sorrow& trouble/ hele the seek/ cloth the naked/ give meet to the hungry drink to the thrusty/ herberowe pylgremes/ make satisfaction to your credytours& patiently suffer the injuries that ben done unto you.¶ And said dysconfort not them that ben in afflycyon but help them with sweet& pleasant words/ and yf it be such as afore haue hurt you benygnely forgive it them satisfyenge you with the pain that they suffer.¶ And said enforce yourself to win friends/& than first preue them or ye put to much trust in them lest it be to your hurt/ and that after therof ye repent you.¶ And said he that god exalteth in this world ought to take no pride nor vain glory in it/ not repute himself greater than one of his fellows for god hath made rich& poor of one creation through which all be equal.¶ And said beware that in your Ire or indignation there escape out of your mouth no foul words for it is dyshoneste& engendereth hate it is not {con}uenyent for him that will haue science to seek it by meed or for money but onely by delectacyon and because it is more precious than other things.¶ And said that thing is good& noble that causeth in his realm good laws to be kept& mayntened& the bad to be laid down ∴  
¶ And said largess and liberality is known when a man is in necssyte& poorete and patience when one hath power to Iuge& be avenged.¶ And said he that worsyppeth the wisemen loveth justice& doth good dedys and enforceth him to win syences and good conditions& therfore he shall finde that liketh him in this world or in the other.¶ And said he is unhappy both here and there that hath wit and will learn no scyencene doctrine.¶ And said he that will not teach that/ that he understandeth in science and good conditions he shall be partner to the ignorance of froward folk and he hath dynyed to teach science to him that is conuenable unto he ought to be deprived of his benefice in this world/ but there is none that doth so save ignorant folkes which commonly ben envious froward& ill willed.¶ And said liberality& largess be better in science than in richesse for the renomme of a wise man abideth& the rychesses abideth not.¶ And a man ought not to offend nor hate him but ought to do good against harm for the works of the wisemen is proved in three things that is to say to make his enemies his friends and to make the rude cunning and to reform the evil dosposed unto goodness.¶ And said he may be called good when other fare the better for his goodness.¶ And said he that loveth the wele of his neygbour as his own.¶ And said that grete science proufyteth little to a covetous man. But little science proufyteth much to him that withdraweth his courage from covetise.¶ And said that the life may be resembled to the fleynge of an arrow and the death in like the lyghtynge therof.¶ And said/ it is more merytory and better to haue pity vpon the fool than vpon the worldly wise man.¶ And said he that holdeth him not satisfied with that/ that god had sent him deserveth not to haue more.¶ And said a reporter or a contryuer of tales commonly other he lieth to hȳ that he telleth them or he is fals to those the he hath said it of.¶ And said derysyon and scorn putteth a way& wasteth love as the fire doth the brand.¶ And said the envious man is friendly to him that is present& in his absence is his enemy& so sheweth him his friend by word and enemy by dede.¶ And said one envious man serveth of nought but to dispraise all other.¶ And said he is right sure that feeleth himself without gylt& is in none surety that will not know his own gylt.¶ And said beware obey not unto covetise for when ye would it will not obey unto you.¶ And said he that giveth good counsel to other folkes beginneth to do profit to himself& was asked of the said hermes what it was that most leted& troubled man He answered Ire& envy after they asked him wherefore the wise man stood more at gates of the rich man than the rich man at gates of the wise man And he answered the wise man knoweth the profit of the rich/ and the rich knoweth not the profit of the scyencyall wise man.¶ And said he that hath wit and discretion& knoweth it not in dede resembled the treee that beareth no fruit.¶ And said he is wise that knoweth ignorance& he that knoweth it not is ignorant and he that knoweth not himself how should he know or deme another. And said ther be two manner of men/ the one seeketh and can not finde the other findeth& can not profit.¶ And said sapience is like a thing fallen in a water which can not be found but by them that well search and set it from the bottom.¶ And said without chastity a man can not be very perfyghtly wise& without wit he may not be perfyght in science.¶ And said discipline is the ornement of wit/ with the which every man ought to enrich himself.¶ And said it is not honest to chastise a man afore all folkes rather a part.  
¶ And said when a man often excuseth himself his known gylt it causeth his error the more to be remembered.¶ And said ignorant person is but little all be it he be old& the wise is much all be it he be young& the world dysprayseth now a dayes those that afore it was wont to worship the earth wasteth& eateth them that afore it was wont to nourish& feed.¶ And said the fool is known by his words and the wise man by his works.¶ And said therbe few folkes envious of a dede man but therbe many that will lie vpon them.¶ And said be merry& glad& it sufficeth to anger thenuyous man.¶ And there was asked of the said Hermes why he married him not he answered he that can not swim in these alone howe should he bear an other in his neck swymmynge.¶ And said keep the out of the company of a Iangeler which resembleth to a thing that seemeth good a far and nigh it is right nought.¶ And said he that will do evil at thyn instance against an other right so will he at his instance do against the.¶ And said he that will praise thee of virtues that ben not in thee& thou rejoice it he may well allege the vices that he seth in the¶ And said Iere troubleth reason and letteth al good works& furthereth all evil.¶ And said he that laboureth in tha/ that may not avail loseth therfore that that might profit.¶ And said the hurt and the trouble that is done caused by evil people letteth the dysyre and well of the good.¶ And said when thy friend erreth or mystaketh him against the yet as much as thou may depart not from his amytye but assay the means to redress him.¶ And said wise kind and true is he that will lightly for gete the error of his friend.¶ And said it is better chastise thyself than let other do.¶ And said the goodness that cometh of an ignorant man is like therbes that grow on a donge hill.¶ And said and evil fellow is like a three kyndeled whereof the one branch setteth the other a fire.¶ And said the noblest thing that god hath made in this world is a man/& the richest thing to him is reason by the which he keepeth justice and escheweth sin.¶ And said the fool will know in himself no vile thing& the ignorant weeneth lightly a thing be other than it is& the suspecyous man maketh many doubts of that the he knoweth.¶ And said a right recommendable thing in heaven& in earth is a true tongue.¶ And said a king or a prince ought not to give lordships nor authorities but to good& mercyable folkes/ and therfore they should love them as the fadre doth his children.¶ And said it should suffice a man& ought to hold himself recompensed when his adverse party required of him pardon& it was asked him what was a liberal thing he said to give silver to unknown men for the love of the known men& to forgive them that haue noyed him for the love of them that haue holpen him.¶ And said the life in this world is so short that ther ought none {con}ceyue hate nor will harm to other. And said establish& ease thyn ire with thy patience thy ignorance with thy sapience thy foryetfulnesse with thy remembrance. And said it is a good sign when a child is shamafaste/ for it sheweth he should haue wit. And said it is well done that thou do good while thou art in prosperity for peradventure in adversity thy power shall lack.  
¶ And said he putteth him in danger that abideth in province where there is no lord that will venge the injuries done thereto where there is not just Iuge where there is no wise leech/ where there is none abundant market& where there is no running water.¶ And said it ap{per}teyneth to every man with all his power to seek science& therwith to fortyyfe him having a good eye vpon his enemies/ and beware he be not raised to high in pride by lordshyppe or other richesse his will his words& his dedys alway to be equal& so shall god love him and his succession.¶ And said there may none escape to be at the grete day of judgment& his help shall be there by .iij. things discretion/ chastete/& good works. All things may be left save good dedys. All things may be changed save nature. All things may be redressed and reformed save evil dedys. All things may be eschewed save death& the sentence of our lord.¶ And said it is not marvel through he be good that is not covetous/ but it were great marvel yf a covetous man were good.¶ And said the error of a wiseman may be resembled to a crazed ship which in drownynge herself drowneth many other. And said trust is in maner of a bondeshyp& mistrust is a liberty. And the said Hermenes correcting king Hamon gave him this precept& charge look that first afore all things ye love/ dread& obey our lord god¶ And said all men that haue domynacyon& lordshype vpon the people ought alway of necessity to haue .iij. things in mind. first to remembre the people that be subject unto him. secondly all be it that they be in his servitude yet ought he to his power to keep thē in fraunchese& liberty& not in chraldom. thirdly how his lordship& power in this world may not long endure.¶ And said. O king hamon it behoveth the to keep thy soul right wisely in will and word& thou oughtest not to be slothful to the destruction of the mescreauntes but to constrain them to obey our lord god& desire not to haue ony richesse without it be rightfully gotten for thing verily the people will alway obey to them that do rightfully& well/& that will maintain them& there may noo well be in a realm without it be habundaunt of people/ for the decay of a realm is fault of people and yf they withdraw them the prince is left lord alone/& therfore remember well thy dydes& eftsoons think on thy soul and put in that garrison all that thou shalt haue need of in the other world& yf it happen that thou must go in the werre in thyn own person/ be ware well that thyn enemies surpryse the not be slouthefull soiournynge/& when thou ghost to battle look that first thou solicit and exhort thy people as courageously as thou can& look that all thyn abylements of war be redy& every man set in his ward& appoynted how they shall fight and set out. And beware well that thou be not surprysed by thyn enemies for lack of watch& good especial. Therfore multiply thy scowte watch& thȳ aspyes so that thou mayst alway know the guiding of thyn enemies/ and look that thou be sure they deceive thee not. And when thou shalt command thy folkes to do ony thing look secretly whether they haue observed it after their charge or not which shall make them dread the more to offend the.¶ And when thou shalt commaumde ony lettres to thy clerk to be made sign or seal thē not till thou haue ouerseen them for many haue ben deceived thereby.¶ Ware thou be not to famylyare with them that thou knowest not vttre not the secrets of thy heart but to them that thou hast proved& knowest true unto the govern the so wisely that thy kynghtes& the people may haue pleasure of thee and glad to be in thy company and delight them to see the rightful& of good governance. sleep no more than shall suffice onely for the sustentation of thy body and the rest of thy heart and entremet not nor let thy works be but in ryghtwysnesse& trouth without dyssymulacyon& sloth nor delay not that thou must nedely execute. sustain and love also tho that be grete multyplyers that is to say the commones that labour the earth by tilth& sowing seeds vpon the same by the which the realms and countres of the people be sustained the knighthood multiplied and the houses full of richesse/ wherefore such things will be greatly kept& cherisshed and it behoveth onely to worship those that be good every man after his discretion condition& science to that intent that the people may so know them& be bountenous to all those that seek sciences to courage them the more to learn and intend to study so that the realm or province may be the better for their cunning. busy thyself to punish malefactours& those that putteth thee in danger or trouble within thy realm or lordship make strike of their hedes publykely that other may take example by them. A thief let his hand be landmen of to a robber of the high way let him be hanged that the way may be the surer. Brenne the sodomites and punish the men take in fornycacyon after their estate and the women in like wise. Ware the words of liars and such punish se the innkeepers ones in a moveth and delyure those that ought to be delivered and give them of thyn alms. punish incotynent those that deserveth it/ yet not so hastily but that they may haue leysyr of repentance and that other let him be kept till thou know the throuth whether he be guilty or not beware also use not thyn own counsel onely but be advised by men of age& discretion/ and such as ben expert in many things and when thou shalt finde one such just and rightful be counseled by him or elles report the to the most wholesome opinion of all thy counseyllours& god shall help the.¶ And said he is noble that useth goodness and it is a grete goodness to use justice and chastity and to give liberally or it be asked.¶ And said when a king or a prince can nor will restrain his evil vices& covetise how should he reprove his servants and when he can not corrcte his proper servants howe should he correct and guide all his people and specially those that ben far from him therfore it behoveth a king or a prince first to be lord over himself and after vpon other by order.¶ And said a good king or a prince should not be to full of suspeccyon for it wolde make men draw from him.¶ And also he ought not to haue ony of that disposition in his house/ and in especial bachyters/ tretryuers/ or reporters of tales for when there is dyuysyon or trouble in a kings or in a princes house lightly no good counseylllours or servants will abide there.   

TAc said he that can not refrain his Ire hath no power over his wit. And said a wise king or a prince ought not to make comparysons nor dispute indyscrecyon with a greater& a myghtyer than he is¶ And said when a king or a prince hath conquered and overcome his ennemyes he ought to maintain them in justice in good custumes& liberality& patience and so may he make of enemies his friends.¶ And said a king or a prince assembled one outrageous treasure& despised it not as it appertaineth he shall lese both it& his realm.¶ And said the people are to a king as the wind to a grete fire for the more the wind is the stronger is the fire¶ And said a king or a prince ought to know those that well& truly haue served him and establish those about himself after trouth wit& cunning& ought to give and be bounteuous unto them after their merits. And yf he give by will to naughty folk that haue not deserved it It putteth away the courage of his good servants to serve him well ony longer/& so shall he be hastily so full of naughty people that when he wolde he can not be delivered of them.¶ And said it is convenient for a king or a prince to learn and know but not all for there is many things that a king or a prince ought not to know nor understand.   


zalquinus  ZAlquinus said the men receive great benefices daily of our creature all be it that they be synners. Than they be bound to thank him for his graces and to ask him pardon for their trespasses.¶ And said many things seem right good that be full bad& after greatly blamed ∴ ✚ And many things be dispraised in the beginning that after ward ben founden good and desired.¶ And said better it is to the to haue grete necessity than to boroue of him in whom thou hast no trust.¶ And said yf thou labour to teach a fool the more shall folly encrece.¶ And said I merueyll of those that abstain them from meats noynge to the body& maketh none abstinence of sin.¶ And said multiply silence for that avoideth perils and use trouth which discipline shall mayteyne the& thy works& he that will well keep the faith ought to lene to his friend of his good and to be gracious to them that knoweth good and no denier of justice to his enemy/& to eschew all things that thoucheth dysworthy.   


Omer.  OMer was an ancient versifyer in grece& of the greatest estate ther he was after Moyses. v. C.lx. year he made many good things& all the vercyfyer of grece followed his dyscyplyn/ the which Omer by fortune was taken& enprysoned& put to be sold as a prisoner or a bound man. And than one asked hȳ whence he was/ he said of his father& of his mother. will thou that I shall beye the/& he answered why asked thou me counseyl when thou wilt do with thy silver. And they asked him whereto he was good. he said to be delivered and so abode long in prison& at the last they let him go. He was a man fair formed& of large stature& lived. C.viij. year. And here after follow his sayings. He is discrete that can refrane his tongue.¶ And said he the werketh by counsel giveth himself rest and lobour to other.¶ And said it is a friendly living to deal with out fraud& barat.¶ And said accompany thee with good people& thou shalt be one of them accompenye thee with bad and thou shalt be one of those.¶ And said he is good& liberal that applieth him to good work and clene and that putteth them in execution or ever there come ony occasion of empesshement ∴  
¶ And said the heart shineth in virtue and is sure when it is set in sapience and fraud and barat is the fruit of evil thoughts.¶ And said the mouth sheweth oft what the heart thinketh.¶ And said the look sheweth sometime the disposition of the heart a fore the words ben spoken.¶ And said it is a grete surety for a man to purueye by time in his causes.  
¶ And said it is a marvel of a man that may be in resemblance to god& enforceth himself to be like to the beasts.¶ And said be ware thou do ne take no thing that thou ferest be to accused of. For yf thou do thou shalt be the accuser of thyself.¶ And said pain thyself to win good conditions& virtues for there by vices& harms shall be eschewed. And said there was sometime a wise man scaped out of a broken and lost ship in to an Isle of the see& so being there a loan drew a figure of geometry vpon the sands wherewith he was found by certain shipmen the brought him to the king of that ground telling him that case and adventure. And therfore the king sent through all his provinces and charged them they should enforce themself to learn and haue such cunning as should bide with them after their ship were lost that is to say science and good works.¶ And said a man beareth with him two vesseles the one before and the other behind. In that before be the errors and vices of other folk. And in that behind be his own vices.¶ And said to his sone/ beware that thou be not covetous for yf thou be covetous thou shalt be poor.¶ And said yf thou be patient thou shalt be praised/ and yf thou be proud thou shalt be blamed.¶ And said a man is better than all other bestes of the earth.¶ And said sapience is as to work by science.¶ And said knowledge is better than ignorance.¶ And said this world is one house of merchandise some win therein by their good dedys& some lese by their evil governance.  
¶ And said by grete diligence some men attain to their purpose.¶ And said he that hath grete might& governance in this world ought to haue no grete reioyssynge/& he that hath none is dyspreysed.¶ And said there is no wyckeder thing than lyenge& there is no goodness in a liar ∴   


Salon.  SAlon was of Athenes and made many books of predycacyons and established the laws ther which was a C●te in those dayes fulfilled with wise men he made many v{er}ses teaching folkes to eschew their {pro}pre wills. And said whan thou wilt do ony thing so low not thȳ own will but seek counsel and thereby shall thou know the trouth of the work. I was asked hȳ what was the most difficulty in a man he answered to know himself to keep his franchise or liberty to speak in places where he ought not to be angry with that he may not amend and to covet that that he may not haue.¶ And said the things of this world are established by laws& the laws be sustyened by two things that god doth that god loveth/& he that doth the works that god loveth is to ward god& he that is to ward god is nigh unto him.¶ And said god is not worshipped by the sacryfices or by other oblacyons done unto him but onely by the will& acceptable intents¶ And said he that clatereth much it is a sign that he hath little knowledge¶ And said at al times what somever thou haue in thy remembrance that god is by thee& knoweth thy thoughts& sete thy dedys And therfore by reason thou oughtest to be ashamed to do amiss.¶ And said onely knoweth the wiseman that dreadeth him and merueylle not though the people knoweth not thee.¶ And said god hath not in this world a more covenable place than in a clene and a pure soul.¶ And said a man ought to speak of honest& good things& elles harkyn to them that will talk therof. And said grudge& eschew all idle things as well of the as of other but in especial of thyself.¶ And said purchase the goods of this world in rightful laudable& worshipful manner& dispend them in like wise¶ And said keep thy patience whan thou hearest losynges& do tho dedys that no man may speak harm of& intend to the surety of thy body/ be attemperate at thy meet in thy drink in lyenge with women& in all thyn other labour.¶ And said enforce thyself to do so well that other men haue envy at the.¶ And said dispend not to outrageosly nor be not to scarce so that thou be not bound to thytresour haue therein atterempaunce& measure/ which in all things is profitable.¶ And said be waking and herkynge to thy counsel for thy nedys for yf thou sloughtit or sleep it might cause the to be partner of thyn own death.¶ And said medyll thee not to do ony thing that ought not to be done.¶ And said he that is not content can not ateyne to truth.¶ And said he that hath no science ought to be dispraised.¶ And said the Iuge that deemeth not rightfully deserveth grete blame. Ware that thy tongue speak noo vylayne nor that thou give thȳ eres to here it.¶ And said a man ought not tenforce himself in this world to make pourchasses nor byldynges to serve other ofter his death but ought to pain him to win and to gete such things as may profit hȳ after his death¶ And said it is better to a man to lie vpon ther hard ground beleuynge fermely in god than to lie in a bed of gold putting doubts in him.¶ And said let thy merchandise be spyrytuell& not corporell& thencresse and winning shall be good and durable.¶ And said he that hath pity vpon his own soul feareth our lord.¶ And said when thou wilt set vpon ony man think thou wouldest defend the yf thou were set vpon.¶ And said dispose thy soul to receive all good and covenable things.¶ And said set a side the vanities of this world for they let and empesche thy reason.¶ And said thou oughtest not to sleep ony night till thou hast remembered and considered the deeds of the day past. And yf thou haue well done be glad and joyous therfore and thank god therof. And yf thou hast erred and done a miss repent the therof& ask forgiveness and pardon of god/& in thyself doing thou mayst obtain unto his grace.¶ And said when thou shalt begin ony work pray god of help to bring it to a good conclusion.  
¶ And said yf thou haue haunted ony fellow& thou see his company is not covenable unto the spare it& yet deal so that he be not after thyn enemy& prove every man by his deeds& not by his words for thou shalt finde many of evil works and good words.¶ And said a man may not refrain him fro doing amiss but when trespasseth let him beware to fall ony more in that error.¶ And said wine is enemy to the soul in taking of it outrageousely/ and like setting fire to fire.¶ And said a servant ought to be obeyssaunt unto his lord but not so absolutely that he lese thereby all his liberty& franchise.¶ And said it is more covenable for a man to suffer death than to put his soul in perpetuel darkness.¶ And said let not to do good dedys though they be not pleasant to the world. And deal alway so to thy whoever that thy soul may stand in good and noble stant what somever fall of thy body.¶ And said a clene& pure soul hath no delight in wordly things.¶ And said go not the paths that thou mayst gete hatred thereby.¶ And said thou oughtest to win friends for the mayntenynge of thyn estate& do not tho thing that thou covetest but that thou oughtest to do& take hede when thou shalt speak& when thou should hold thy pease.¶ And said he defreyneth him from covetise that letteth not to spend his good for friends ∴  
¶ And said put all covetise from the& than shalt thou perceive trouth.¶ And said he is not very patient that suffereth but as much as he may but he is presently patient that suffereth over his power.¶ And said right as a leech is not reputed nor taken for good nor cunning that heleth other and can not hele himself right so is he no good governor that commandeth other to eschew vices& neither can nor will leave thē himself.¶ And said the world varieth now with thee and now against the. yf it be with the think to do well and yf it be against the take it patiently.¶ And said many harms comme to bestes by cause they be dumb unto men through their own speech.¶ And said hard it is to grieve him that can abstain him from four things that is to wit hastynesse wilful frowardenesse/ pride& sloth. For hastenesse causeth repentance. wilful frowardenesse causeth losses pride causeth hattered. And sloth causeth dyspreysynge He saw a man right nobly& rich arrayed which had vile& foul words to whom he said Other speak after thȳ array or let thyn array be after thy words. The king than of Cecyle desired him to dwell with him. To whom he said thy works& thy demeanynges be contrary to thy profit and thy office is not well exsecuted/ for thou destroyest the fundament of thy faith/ wherefore I will not dwell with the for the physycyen is not sure/ for amongs his pacyentes he may take sickness.¶ And said yf thou wyit that thy children or servants do no faults thou desirest a thing innaturall.¶ And said the soul that is in the company of good people is in delectation and joy/& when it is among evil it is in sorrow& heaviness¶ And said the wise man thinketh on thy well of his soul as accentyuely as other attend to the well of their bodies.¶ And said take friendship of them that thou seest follow trouth& think or thou work¶ And said right as a physycyen can not hele his pa is to say by sword& by banere.¶ And said to his disciples beware that ye be no mokers for that engendereth hatred.¶ And said the virtuous lauds of a man be not these that he gyued himself but those that ben given him for his good works And it was asked him who was leberall. He said he that useth liberality not coveting other mennes goods.¶ And said an evil tongue was sharper than a glayue. A rich man asked him what were his goods. he answered my tresor is such that no man may haue it without my will& may not be amynisshe for no thing that I give of it/ but thou mayst depart with none of thyn without dimynuacyon.¶ And said yf thou wilt the love of thy friend shall abide ferme unto the be courteous to him& spare him in his anger or error. And said thou oughtest not to give a man greater preysynge in his presence than he is worthy for be knoweth the trouth. And was asked hȳ how a man should win friends. He answered in worshipping and saying good of them in their absence.¶ And said a good soul hath neither to grete joy nor to grete sorrow for she rejoiced not but when she seeth good things and none evil and hath no sorrow but when she seth the evil things and none good. And when she looketh on all the world she seeth the good& the evil soentermedled that she should not simply reioysse herself nor trouble herself angrely.¶ And said a king that doth right& justice shall reign& govern well his people& he that doth injustice& violence seeketh an other to reign for hȳ.¶ And said it behoveth a king or a prince first to order& dress himself& after to dress other or elles he should he like hȳ that wolde dress his shadow afore himself.& it was asked hȳ when countres& towns were well governed. he answered& said when their princes rule them after their laws.   


Sabyon  SAbyon was a grete defendoure of his neighbours/ and had certain friends which a king wolde sle. and when the said sabyon understood it went with them in resystence of that said king which king assembled so grete nombre of knights against hȳ that he was disconfyt taken and was commanded to be put in engine and tormented without he wolde accuse them that were consenting to make ware against the king/ which sabyon answered that for noo pain he wolde not tell that thing that should noye his friends.& in dead being in the engine cut his tongue with his own teth to thentent that he might not accuse his fellows& friends.& the said sabyon lived .xlviij. year& here after followeth of his sayneges to his disciples.¶ And said yf ye lice ony thing say not ye haue lost it but say ye haue restored that was not yours.¶ And said to one of his disciples multiply thy friends& that shal assuage thy care And said a wise man ought to be ware how he weddeth a fair woman for every man will desire to haue her love& so they will seek their pleasures to the hurt& displeasure of her husband.¶ And said delectation in richesse is a daungerous vice.& there came one of his servants unto him on a time& told him that his sone was dead/& he answered that he knew well that he was mortal& not inmortall/& a man ought not to dread the death of the body but the death of the soul. One asked why he said so considering that he held the opinion that a reasonable soul might not die/ he answered when a reasonable soul is converted to the nature of a beest with out use of reason all be it that it be substance incorruptible yet is she reputed for dead for she loseth the intellectyf life. He found a young poor man sitting vpon the see side weeping for the aduersites of this world to whom he said dyspayre the not for yf thou wherewith grete richesse in the middle of yonder see in grete danuger of thy body& of thy goods thou would wish right heartily to be here with onely thy lelfe saved/ also& yf thou were prisoner& the keepers would sle thee& take fro the all that ever thou hadst thou wouldest be glad to haue onely the deliverance 
hippocras  of thy body/ the young man answered that he  told him trouth well than said sabyon unto him now think than that thou hast ben in all these dangers& hast escaped them& arte now at thy free liberty therfore hold the content with the state that thou now standest in/& so the young man departed greatly recomforted.   

hippocras was disciple to esculapius the second which destended of blood royal/& he was the first finder of the art of physic which he shewed& taught to his children& commanded it should not be learned to ony strangers but onely from the father to the sone& so the said science to rest in them& commanded that they should dwell in the middle habitacyon of grece in .iij. yle/& hippocras restend in the yle of thou/ and in the .ii. other Isles the study was lost in his dayes. The opinion of the first Esculapius was that physic should be used onely by experience for it was never founden but onely thereby. And so was it used. M. cccc. year after that till an other physyen called Methyous whose opinion was that experience without reason was a daungerous thing& so they used these two opinions .vij. C. year till an other phisycyen came called Bramades/ which dispraised the experience saying that to many errors grew thereby& that in occupynge physic a man ought to use reason onely not withstanding he had .iij. disciples which held after hȳ .iij. dyvers opinions. The one used experience onyly the other reason onely. the thyrde subtle crafts& enchauntementes. And so these .iij. weyes were used .vij. C. year till that Plato came which taught diligently the sayings of his predecessors in his science& shewed that experience onely was daungerous& reason onely could not be sufficient/& took the books as well of subtle craft& enchantment as those of onely reason& brent them all but those that were of reason and experience to guider he retained& kept them& {con}maunded that they should be used& after his death he left the craft to .v. of his disciples. The first to ordyene physic to the body. The .ii. to box and to let blood The .iij. to hele wounds. The .iiij. to hele seek eyen. The .v. to kyntte& hele broken bones/ and after this came Esculapius the .ii. which taught diligently the diverse opinions/ and in especial those of Plato/ which he used and took for most true and reasonable And he left after him three disciples that is to say/ hippocras& .ij. other which dyed& restend that science& craft onely in him than restend hippocras alone perfyght in virtues in his dayes using reason.¶ The which hippocras seeing the craft of physic in way of {per}dicyon because all his fellows were dede/& that he was left onely in the yle of Than thought that he wolde for the most profit that the cratf therof were shewed& taught not onely to his children& kinsmen/ but generally to all that were apt to learn it and dampned in that science dyvers things& added to certain compylacyons in breue words. And commanded his two sones that were masters of sciences that they should show it generally for he said it was more covenable that it should be taught strangers able and apt to the lore than to his own kinsmen not disposed to learn and as he ordained it was done& is used to this day& in his life he shewed it to dyvers strangers& made them expert therein taking promise of them to teach it further. It happened that a kynke of pierce called Defour sent unto the king of thysle of thou called desperate praying him to send him hippocras& he wolde give him. C. kyntalles yf gold/ and than was the land of grece divided in many kyngdoms of the which somme gave truage to the king of pierce And so did that of thou/ the which bad hippocras go to that said king of pierce for to hele certain pestylences that were than in his ream asking yf he went not it might be to grete danger to the yle saying the said desperate was not of power to resist the said king of pierce. The which hippocras answered that he wolde never go to hele the enemies of grece. Also thenhabytaunces of the towns where he dwell in/ said they had lever deye than hippocras should depart fro them The said hippocras was. C.xlvj. year after nabugodonosor he made dyvers books of physic of the wihche xxx. he had& of those .xii. the most be studied by order Other books be also had of galyens making the said hippocras was of little statute grete heed croak back much studying and of a little language& much looking down to the earth holding in his hand a flabotomye of munycyon for letting blood/ or a green branch profitable to the eyen/ he lived four score vi. yeres whereof he employed .xvii. in study/& the remnant in exercysynge of conynges. And here followeth diverse of his sayings. poverty in surety is better than richesse in fear.¶ And said that the life is thought short the pain is thought long experience hard to come by& judgment daungerous.¶ And said the health is not to be slothful in good exercises& not to fyl his body with wines& meats¶ And said it is better to amynysshe that hurteth than to increase that helheth.¶ And said the heart is tormented by .ii. passions that is to say with sorrow& thought of sorrow cometh the dreams& the fantasies& of thought cometh the wakynges& vnrestes& sorrow is a passion of things past& thought is fear of things to come.¶ And said that soul is lost that setteth his intent on wordly things that is to say in covetise.¶ And said he that will the life of his soul let him mortyfye it& give it pain in this world.¶ And said there may well be love bytwyne .ii. wysmen/ but not between .ii. foles all be it that their foolyes be equal/ for wit goth by order and may concord in one sentence but in folly is no due ordinance& therfore may they never concord in love.¶ And said a man ought not to swear but it is so or it is not so.¶ And said hold you content with that/ that ought suffice you.& so ye shall not haue no grudging the less grudge ye haue the more ye fle fro malice& wickedness withdraw you also fro sin& seek thende of virtues and goodness.¶ And said he that will be fre let him not covet that thing that he may not haue for and he do he is bound thereto and therfore yf thou wilt haue that thou desirest desire that thou mayest haue. It was asked of him a question of evil& vile things. To the which he answered no thing. They asked him wherefore he spake not.  
He said that silence was the answer of such questions.¶ And said this world is to no creature perpetual therfore then let none dyfferre or delay to do good things as long as he may& namely that/ that he should win good renommee thereby.¶ And said he that knoweth not trouth is rather like not to do it than he that is informed& taught thereto.¶ And said science is like a root of a tre and operation is like the branches& syence is like a thing engendryng. And operation is like a thing engendered.¶ And said take a little of science at ones so that thou may ste keep it and learn more. For yf thou wilt take more at ones than they wit may suffice thou mayest lightly forget all.   


pythagoras  pythagoras said the it is a right blessed and a noble thing to serve god& to sauntefye his saints to dispraise the world to use justice& of all virtues most principal is to abstain him from sin. And it is good to use fastynges& studies& to make him to be beloved& it is good to haue science to understand the trouth of things/ and to learn it to the men& show it to the women he ordained also predycacyons& to polysshe& enorne the speech.¶ And said the soul is {per}petuall& covenable to receive merits& pains he moderated so his meet& his drink the he was at no time fatter nor lener than other he was a subtle man& loved as well to do good to his friends as to himself/ saying the goods of friends ought to be common. He made. CC.lxxx. volumes of books/ and was born in the country of Samye.¶ And said an harm not durable is better than a wealth not abiding& that was wretē both in his seal& in his gyrdel. And said as the beginning of our creation cometh of god right so it is behoveful that at our end our soul return to hȳ.¶ And said yf thou wilt know god enforce not thyself to know the worldly people.¶ And said a wise man reputeth not the worship of god in words but in deeds. And said sapience is to love god& he the loveth cyent without he tell him the trouth of his disease right so may not a man be well counseled of his friend without he tell him the playnesse of his cause.¶ And said many enemytes grouwen for fault of trust betwyx parties& trust causeth often many harms.  
And when pythagoras sat in his chair he used in she wing his doctrines to say. measure your paths& go the right way& so shall ye go surely. Attempre you from covetise and your good estate shall dure/ use justice& ye shall be beloved& dread/ keep not your body in grete delectacyons for and ye so do ye shall not consusteyne the aduersytes that might fall unto you. And he saw an old man that was shamefast to learn to whom he said. science is better in age than in youth.¶ And said yf thou wilt dispraise hȳ that thou hatest show not that thou art his enemy.¶ And said a good king or prince ought to think diligently to the state and guydyn of his land/ and ought to ouerse it as often as a good gardener doth his garden.¶ And said it behoveth a king to give example himself to keep his laws and se that his next kinsmen and friends do so after him& it appertaineth not to a king to be proud nor to do after his own will onely nor to ride couertely/ nor in no dark night but gladely show himself open faced among his people and subiectes and conveniently be conversant among them without overmuch famylyaryte. And when a king or a prince shall go to his rest/ that he se there be good watch/ and yf they fail therein that he punish them well and to beware to eat the meet that a ialous woman giveth him or ony other suspect person.¶ And said the well disposed man remembreth but his sins. And the evil disposed hath mind but on his virtues. It fortuned his wife was decessed in a far country& some asked him yf there were ony difference to die in their proper land elles far from thence. He answered whersomeuer one die the way to the other world is all like.¶ And said to ayonge man that wolde not learn in his yought/ yf thou will not take pain to learn thou shalt haue pain to be lewd& vnconnynge.¶ And said god loveth those that be dysobeysaunt to evil salvation.¶ And said good prayer is one of the best things that a man may present to god/ yf thou axe him ony bone let thy works be agreeable unto him ∴   


Dyogenes  DYogenes other wise called dogly because he had some conditions of a dog& he was the wisest man that was in his dayes. He dispraised greatly the world and lay in a tonne which he turned for his advantage from the son and the wind as it pleased him/& therein he restend where somever the night fill vpon him he eat when somever he was hungered/ were it by day or by night in the street or elles where without ony shane therof and was content with two gowns of wollen cloth in the year and so he lived and governed himself till his death. Some asked him why he was called dogly he said by cause I bark vpon the fools and fawn vpon the wisemen. Alexandre the grete came unto him of whom he took little regard. He asked hȳ why he set so little by him saying that he was so mighty a king and had no necessity. He answered I haue nought to do nor set by him that is bonde man to my thrall. Why said Alexandre am I so than. ye said dyogenes for I am lord and master to all covetise and hold her under my feet as my thrall and covetise is thy mistress and thou arte bound unto her and so art thou bound to my thrall. Than said Alexander yf thou wilt axe me ony thing of his world I will give it thee. Dyogenes answered why should I ask the ony thing whiles I am richer than thou art for that little that I haue contenteth me better than all the grete quantity that thou hast satisfieth the. I pray the stand out of my light and take not from me that that thou mayest not give me. well said Alexander who shall berry the when thou art dead/ he that will not suffer the stench of my caryen above the earth.  
¶ And the said Dyogenes said he is not parfytely good that doth but onely abstain him from evil dedys. He saw a young man of good and virtuous disposition which was evil visaged to whom he said the goodness and virtues that be in the give beauty in the face/& some asked him when it was time a man to eat/ he said when he had appetite& meet& yf he had none when he might gete it. And said it is good a man keep him from the guile of his enemy and the evil of his friend.¶ And said right as a man appeareth greater in a mist than in a clear wedder right so appeareth more his vice in his Ire than in his patience.¶ And said to Alexandre think not thou arte the more worthy for thy beauty treasure and rich array but onely for thy liberality& goodness.¶ And said when thou dispraysest a vice in an other man look that thou use it not thyself.¶ And said when thou seest a dog leave his master and follow the drive him away for right so will he leave the to go to a neither.  
He saw a man that prayed god give him sapience to whom he said thy petition availeth not without but first thou pain thyself to learn it.¶ And said of all virtues of humanity the greater quantity therof is the better save of words.¶ And said it is not honest to give prasynge to a man of a thing that he hath not deserved.¶ He saw a peyntour that was waxed a phisycyen to whom he said/ thou knowest that men might se at the eye the faults that thou didst in chy craft but now they may not be parceyued for they are hid vnther the earth. And he saw right a fair person which was a fool/ and than he said there is a fair house& right and evil honest herborowed therein. He saw a also fool sit in a window and he said there sitteth a ston vpon a ston. One asked him what was love he said it was a sickness that grew of idleness& for lack of virtuous exercise. One asked him what was richesse he said abstaining fro covetise. The said dyogenes was in a season feke and his friends came to visit him saying dowte you not for your sickness come but of goddes will he answered therfore am I the more afeard. He saw an old man that dyed his heirs to whom he said thou mayst well hide thy with heres but not thyn age.¶ And said it is more behouefull thou go to the leech than the leech to thee& semblably I say it of the leech of the soul.¶ And said yf thou wilt correct ony man show it not by violence but as the surgyen doth to the seek that is to say souftely and patiently but& thou wilt correct thyself dispose the as the hurt man doth to the leech. It was asked him how a man might keep him from Ire he answered a man ought alway to haue in remembrance that he can not all times be served/ but sometime shall be fayn to do service and also he shall not be alway obeyed but at sometime he must obeyed/ and therfore he shall not at all times be suffered in his will but that attesomtyme he must suffer having this in his mind it should appease his Ire. And there came a gester a fore Alexander sitting at his dinner which praised him outrageously& diverse herkened greatly thereto the said Dyogenes began to eat faster than before some asked him why he herkened not the fair sayings of the gester/ he answered I do more profitable than to herkene lesynger what is such praising worth when he is never the better therfore.¶ And said yf thou talk with a stranger speak not to much till thou haue first made comparison by twene cunning of his science and thyn and yf thou finde thyn better that his speak the blodelyer and ellys hold thy paese and learn at him dyvers delycyous persons blamed him of his maner of living and he said it lieth well in my whoever yf me list to live after your guise but it is not in your whoever to live after my maner. And it was told him that certain {per}sones had said evil of him in his absence/ he answered it shall not hurt me though a man strike at me& touch me not.¶ And said it is a churlysshe condition to answer dyshonestly& a noble condition to answer patiently.¶ And said there is no greater treasure than discretion and wit nor greater poverty than ignorance nor better frendesshyp than good conditions/ nor better guider than is good fortune.¶ And said sickness is the prison of the body& sorrow is the prison of the soul. There was a man of grete birth that rebuked him to whom he said my blood& lineage is enchaunsed by me and thyn is hurt and lowed by the. The said Diogenes was of little speech/& one asked him why he spake no more he answered there was grete v{er}tues in a mannes eres There was a man said him grete villainy to whom he said noo word/ one asked him why he answered not. He said I could him do noo greater dysworshyp than he doth himself for he hath contrybued blamed unto him that hath not deserved it. One asked him how he should trouble his enymyes he answereth en force thyself to be virtuous and good. And yf thou wolt that thy goodness appeared grete unto strangers repute to them thyself little.¶ And said yf thou give power to thy wife onely to tread vpon thy foot on the morrow she wolde tread vpon thy hede. And said company of women is an harm that can not be eschewed.¶ And said he that doth good for the goodness of it onely ought not to dread before whom he doth/ nor for the praising ne blame therof. One asked him when he should know his friend. He said in necessity. For in prosperity every man is friendly ther was another man said villainy unto him where at he took none anger. It was asked him why he was so patient he answered other he said soth or lied/ yf he haue said trouth Iought not to be angry and yet less yf he haue lied. He saw a man clatre so much that ther could no body make him hold his paes to whom he said friend thou hast two eres and but one tongue.  
wherefore thou oughtest to hark double as much as you speakest. He saw a fair young man the which dyde grete diligence to learn to whom he said ye do passing well to make your dedys resemble your beatute ∴   


Socrates  SOcrates in greeks tongue is to say keeper of justice. he was married against the custom of that country which was that good and virtuous people should be wedded to guider to thentent that their lineage might gete better/ but he wedded the worst woman that was in all the land& had .iii. children by her. He loved and worshipped sapience so much that it was a grete hindrance to all his successors for he would not suffer his science to be written.¶ And said that science was pure& clene wherefore it was covenable she should be onely set in mind& courage& not in skins of dead beasts nor in no such corrupt thing& therfore he made no books nor gave no doctrine to his disciples but onely by words of discipline. And that opinion he held of Tunyo which was his master for as the said Socrates being of tender age/ asked his master/ why will ye not suffer me to write the doctrines that ye teach me. Tunyo answered him covetest thou more that wild beasts skins to be worshipped with sapience/ than thengyne of a man. I set the case that one meet thee in that wild feld& ask the counsel vpon a question wete it good that thou wouldest say/ let me go home and over see my books first it were more honest to haue recours to thy remembrance& ther vpon& brefly to determine. It were so certamely said Socrates, well than retain it well in thyn mind that thou shalt learn/& put it not in the book/ in which opinion the said socrates restend/ he defended that noo man should worship false ydoles but wolde that all honour& worship should be referred to the creature of all things and for that opinion he was condemned to death by xij. wretches of Athenes which ordained that he should drink certain poisons whereof the king of that country was sorry but he could not revoke the sencente he gave him as long respite of his Iug●ment as he could.¶ The said king had a ship charge with things that in certain times should be offered in the temple to the idols he had a custom that he wolde give no judgment and especyally vpon mannes death till the said ship were returned to Athenes which was not yet come home. And vpon there coming home one of Socrates fellows called Inclytes  told hȳ in the prison that the said ship should come to the port on the morrow or the next day. wherefore he said it were good that we should give. CCCC. pieces of gold to the keepers that they wolde let the secretly escape and than myghtyest thou go to Rome& needest little to dread them of Athenes he answered all that I haue is not worth. CCCC. pieces of gold no said in clyte I& thy friends haue so much which we will gladly give thy keepers to save thy life yf it please the/ to the which Socrates answered this city wherein I must suffer death is the natural place of my birth wherein I must die without desiring onely because that I reprove them for doing I must deeds/& for worshipping the false and vain ydoles and that I wolde haue them honour the true god wherefore I say yf these men of my nation persecute me for susteynynge and saying trouth right so will strangers do whersomeuer I become for I will never spare to say trouth nor use no lesynges& certainly those wolde haue less mercy of me then those of this town wherein I am born It happened that the thyrde day his disciples came unto him& found him in prison by the commaundemet of the .xii. Iunges they asked hȳ many doubtable questions thouchynge the soul he answered them as largely& as gladly as ever he dyde/ whereof they merueylled to use so great constance in a man so nigh his death one of his disciples called daemon said master I know well it is an hard thing to the for to show and teach us in the case that thou now standest in and lacking of thy lore is to us a damageous thing for in this world hast thou no fellow of good doctrine. Socrates answered spare not to inquire of me what it pleaseth you/ for it is to me a grete pleasure. They asked him questions of the soul which he answered. And after they asked him of the state of the world and composycyon of the elements which also he answered right perfoundely/& he said unto them I trow the hour of my death approacheth nigh I will bain me& make me clene in this world and say mine orisons to thentent that I shal haue no pain after my death/ wherefore I pray you spare me for a while he entred in to a house/& baygned him& said his orisons/& than called his wife& his children& gave them many fair doctrines/& bad them pain them for to do good& address their souls to him that all created/& than came one from the wretches to him with poison to drink& said. O Socrates think not that I am he that maketh the to deye/ for I know thou arte the best man that ever came in this land but I am sent from the wretches for to sle thee& here is the confection that thou must drink take it patiently hearken thou mayst not scape it. Socrates said I take it with good heart& know well thou art not guilty therof& so drank it. And when his friends saw that they made grete weeping& lamentation whereof he blamed them asking I haue sent away the women because they should not do as ye do. He went a little fro them& said. O god haue mercy vpon me and anon his sinews shrank his feet waxed cold/& than he laid him down/ one of his disciples took a boddekyn and pricked him in his feet and asked him yf he felt ony thing/ and he said nay/ than he pricked him in his thighs& asked him yf he felt it he said nay. anon the cold struck up unto his sides than Socrates said when the cold cometh unto my heart I must nedys die. Than said Inclites O dere master well of sapience& of science correct and theche us yet while the speech lasteth. to whom he said I can none other wise show you now dying than I haue done afore in my life. The said Inclites said sir command me what thing ye will. He answered noothynge and left up his eyen to the sky saying I present my soul to the maker of all the world& so dyed. The said Socrates had .xii. M. disciples and disciples of disciples. And in his life he devised that men should be guided after .iij. ordres that is to say in clergy in knighthood and communes/& ordained the clergyd above the knighthood/ the knighthood above the people& that the clergy should pray for the knighthood and the people and the knighthood should defend the clergy. And the people to labour for the clergy and the knighthood. The said Socrates was of reed colour and of competent stature hore heded and well faced/ demure of speech/ a grete studyer/& loker vpon the earth. And when he spake he wagged his little finger/ he lived four score& .ii. yeres/& was written in his seal patience and good believe in god maketh a man victoryus and was written in his girdle having respect and consyderacyon to thende of every thing causeth the salvation of the soul& of the body he established laws which were sent in to the east west South& north& al was governed by them¶ And said the first thing that thou should fix thy will in is to keep divine justice& to apply thy will to the same and not to do sacrifices nor noo injust things nor to swear noo false oaths.¶ And said right as a man is heled of his sickness by virtue of a medicine right so is an evil man heled of his malice by virtue of the lawe.¶ And said to his disciples I am a tylman and virtues ben the seeds& study is the water that moisteth them/ wherefore yf the seeds be not clene nor the water sufficient what somever be sown profiteth little.¶ And said one ought to merueylle at him that forgetteth the perpetual goodness of the other world/ for the goods of this world be not durable.¶ And said the well disposed soul loveth to do well/ and the evil disposed soul loveth to do harm.¶ And said the good soul graffeth goodenesse and the fruit therof is salvation/ and the evil disposed graffeth vices and the fruit therof is damnation¶ And said the good soul is known by that she receiveth gladly trouth& the evil soul by that she receiveth gladly lesynges.¶ And said that whan a person doubteth in doubtful things& is stedefaste in those that ben open& evident to the eye/& it is sign that he is of good vnderstandeynge.¶ And said that the souls of them that ben good ben forowfull of the works of them that ben evil.¶ And said the man that followeth covetise loseth himself endelesly& at the last is all dyshonoured/ and who that hates it getteth enough and at the end is right well worshipped.¶ And said that the good soul saveth himself& other ben saved by him.¶ And said the soul knoweth all things and than he that knoweth his soul knoweth every thing& he that knoweth not his soul knoweth no thing.¶ And said he that is keytyf to himself he is more keytyf to an other& he that is liberal to himself is comonely liberal to an other ∴  
¶ And said little teaching sufficeth to the good soul& to the evil soul much teaching may not avail.¶ And said that .vi. manner of men be that never be out of anger that is to wit/ the first is he that may not forget his trouble/ the .ii. an envious man that dwelleth with folkes newly enryched/ the .iij. he that dwelleth in a place where an other hath thryuen& he can no profit there/ the .iiij. a rich man fallen in poverty/ the .v. he that enforceth himself to come to the state that is not bylongynge to him to haue/& the .vi. he that hath dwelled with a wiseman& hath nothing learned of him.¶ And said who so payneth himself to show doctrine to a man of evil courage resembleth to him that will master a strong horse which/ yf he give him not a strong bit with corbe he shall never govern him.¶ And said to much haunting felysshyp engendereth not great love bytwne them& abstaining from them causeth enemytes and than it is best to deal therein moderately.¶ And said he that doth good is better than the good& he that doth evil is wors than the evil. And said science is had by diligence of men but dysrrecyon cometh of god.¶ And said wisdom is the leech of the lawe& money is the sickness/& whan the leech may not hel himself how should he hele an other.¶ And said thou mayst not be {per}fectely good yf thou hatest thyn enemy what shalt thou be than yf thou hatest thy friend.¶ And said this world may be likened to a way full of thystelles in a manner hid where a man is pricked that entereth in it/& yf he aspye them he will beware of it.¶ And said he that loveth the world hath but labour& he the hateth it hath rest.¶ And said he is right simple that is certain to depart from this world& besyeth him to make in it his byldynges.¶ And said this world is like a light brenning fire whereof a little is good for to kyndell his light and to show him the way/ and he that taketh to much therof may lightly bren himself with all.¶ And said he that setteth all his mind in this world loseth his soul/& he that thenketh on his soul hateth this world.¶ And said he that loveth this world may not fail to fall in one of these .ii. inconuenyentes or both that is to say other to displease our lord god or ellys to be envy at of myghtyer men than he is.¶ And said a man that seeketh to haue enemies seeketh his destruction& he that hath many enuyers and enemies is in danger of evil fortune.¶ And said this world is but a passage in the other world/& therfore he that purueyeth him of things necessary for that passage is the surer for all perils.¶ And said trouble not thyself greatly with wordly acquysycyons/ but resemble the byrddes of the sky/ which in the morning seek but thyr refection for the day& semblably the walde bestes that come out of the monteynes for to seek their food& at night repeyre home again.¶ And said the error is known in the end to be evil/& that that is good is the more clearly seen after thereby. Plato took vpon him to go in viage& desired to know of Socrates how he should govern himself therein. And he said doubt of those that thou knowest and beware of these that thou knows not& go not by night eat none herbs that thou knowest not/& look that thou keep the high way thought it be the longer/ intend not to chastise him that is out of all reason for thou shalt make him thereby thyn enemy. ¶ And said lie not with a woman without necessity capitain the.¶ And said tow things be laudable that is for to say lawe& sapience/ lawe keepeth right wysnesse sapience causeth good condition. Socrates accompayned himself with a rich man and they met thyues in an high way/ the rich man said it were daungerous to me yf they knew me/& Socrates said it were better for me yf I were known by them.¶ And said a wiseman ought to use his dayes in one of these two manners that is to say in that that may cause him to haue joy in this world& in the other or in that that may cause him to haue good name in this world.¶ And said this world is delectation of an hour& sorrow of many dayes/& the other world is grete rest& long joy.¶ And said who somever teach the one world of sapience doth the more good than yf he gave that of his gold.¶ And said swear not by our lord for no maner of lucre all be it thy cause be true/ for some will think thou for swerest thyself.¶ And said take hede how thou gyuest thy gifts/ for some simple folkes give to the vnnedy and refuse it to those that haue need.¶ And said yf thou wilt win a friend speak good of him for good speech engrendreth love and evil speech engrendreth hatred.¶ And said a king ought to put from him all evil disposed {per}sones for the harm that they of his company do is reputed his dede. And said he that erreth& knoweth it& after reputeth him therof hath deserved pardon¶ And said he that meddleth to correct every man causeth the most parte to hate hȳ. And said to a man that had reproved his lineage/ yf I be the worse for my lineage as the sayest they lineage is the worse for the. And said he the sekeht the delices of this world is like unto him that seeketh to drink zarab brenning it were water& sinneth to drink it till he bewery and when he cometh to it he findeth no thing and than he is more thursty than he was before. forzarab is a mist in a medewe which sometime by refleccyon of the son seemeth a water and is none in dede.¶ And said a man hath never infinite rest and joy in this world/ for he can not alway persevere in delectation& possess his wynnynges& oft hath trouble and anguish as well for loss of his friends as other wise.¶ And said the love of this world stoppeth mannes eres from hearing sapience& blyndfyldeth the eyen from seeing thrught& it causeth also a man to be envy& keepeth him fro doing good dedys.¶ And said he that loveth and useth trouth hath mo& greater servants than a king¶ And said he is not fre that kyndeth hȳ to an other.¶ And said affirm no thing till thou know the trouth nor do no thing but it be covenable nor begin no thing but yf thou se how to bring it to good conclusion. Ther was a rich man said to him. O Socrates why arte thou so poor. To whom he answered yf thou knowest what is to poverty thou wouldest haue more sorrow of thy poverty than of mine.¶ And said it is a grete merueyll to se a wiseman angry ∴  
¶ And said the death is a thing that may not be escheweth& there ought none to dread it/ but such as haue committed grete iniquity& done little justice wherefore they should dread damnation for their demerytes after their death.¶ And said good dede is not to be disposed but to be magnified and praised for it maketh transmutacyon from the world of uncleanness & shane to the world of worship from the world not durable unto perpetual from the world of folly and vanities to the world of sapience& reason& truth and fro the world of traueyll& pain to the world of consolation& rest.¶ And said it is merueyll of him that doubteth to die& doth things contrary to his salvation.¶ And said death is life to him that knoweth to haue joy after it.¶ And said he that liveth well shal die well.¶ And said better it is worsypful death than shameful life.¶ And said death is the rest of covetous people for the longer they live the more multiply their couetyses& so death is more convenable for them than life for death of evil people is the well and surety of the good by cause they shall do noo more sin nor hurt to the people.¶ And said the life Iugeth indyrectely amongs the death.¶ And said one ought not to weep for him that is slain without cause but for him that hath slain him for he that slayeth unjustly dampned himself.¶ And said he that dreadeth ony thing ought to his power to beware therof/ also he that doubteth to haue pains for his sins after his death ought so to deal that he may eschew that parel.¶ And said when thou wilt do ony thing look for what occasion it is/& yf thou seest the end therof good/ hast the conclusion/ and elles resist thy will.¶ And said better is to a man to life hard than to borrow of him that reputeth his little lones and gifts to be grete and without cause will think a man to be in his danger.¶ And said take in no preysynge the love or gift of him that hath dysworshypped the/ for the dysshonour and shane therof is more than the winning. He loved alway to learn whereof some rebuked him/ to whom he said. The greatest shane that can come to an old man is to be ignorant he found a young man that had folysshely spent and wasted his substance/& was brought to such poverty that he was fain to eat waves to whom he said/ yf the waves had be as good to the at the beginning as they be now thou wouldest haue had yet largely of thy goods.¶ And said there is no difference betwyne a great teller of tidings and a liar.¶ And said the noblest thing that children may learn is science for there by they eschew to do evil works.¶ And said the greatest winning that a man may haue is to gete a true friend he herde a man say that one was surer in keeping his tongue than in much speaking/ for in much language one may lightly err to whom he said one ought not to understand that in them that speak well.¶ And said the profit of silence is less than the profit of speech/ and the harm of speech is more than the harm of silence.¶ And said one may know a wiseman be herkenynge& holding his tongue/& a man may know a fool by his much claterynge.¶ And said he that will not hold his paes is to be blamed/& he that will hold his peas till he be boden speak is to be praised.¶ And said it is an ignorant thing to dispute in things that may not be understand.¶ And said the mean is best in all things.¶ And said much running maketh much weariness.¶ And said yf the wit of a man over master not his frailty he shall soon be overcome& brought to nought.¶ And said he is a beest that can not discern the good from the evil.¶ And said he is a good friend that doth the good& a mighty friend that defendeth thee from harm. He wrote unto a king reconfortynge him whan his sone was dead in this maner god made this world an house of delectation& reward and troubles in this world causen remune●acyon in the other.¶ And said no man ought to repute himself wise man.¶ And said this world giveth example to those that abide by them that depart& said the loss of somme is learning to other. And said be that trusteth in this world is deceived& he that is suspeccyous is in grete sorrow one of his disciples gave him a gift& he was troubled with all It was asked him why he rejoiced it not/ he said the recepcyon of this gift hath procured his worship& put me in his danger.¶ And said be to thy father and to thy moder as thou wilt to thy children ben to the. And said be not to angry nor to wrathful/ for that is the work of a foul. And said one ought to haue shane to speak that he hath shane to do.¶ And said refraeyne thee from vices in thy youth& it shalbe the fairest garment that thou mayst were.¶ And said govern the so to thy power that no man say harm of the all be it/ it were lesynges/ for all men know not the trouth/& yet they haue eres. Plato desired him to answer in iii. things& he wolde be his disciple the first was what manner of men one ought to haue most pity of. The second wherefore some mannys works preue not. The thyrde how a man should do to haue retribution of our lord. The first he answered that a man ought to haue pity in three wyses that is to say of a good mane in the hands of a shrew/ for he hath there but all sorrow. And of a wiseman in the governance of a foul which is to him great heaviness and a liberal man in the subieccyon of a keytyf for he hath thereby grete generation. The second their works preue not that haue good counsel and work not there after& haue richesse& will not dispend it not for their need. The thyrde is the good retribution that one receiveth of our lord god cometh to be entirely obeysaunte unto him& abstain him from sin/& when Platon was thus answered he became his disciple all his life.¶ And the said Socrates said dispraise bodily death and it shall be the life of thy soul/ follow justice& than shalt be saved.¶ And said a wiseman resteth& delighteth him when he findeth trouth.¶ And said a wysman ought to speak with an ignorant as the physycyen doth with his patient.  
¶ And said he that taketh his pleasa●●eī this world must needs fall in one of these .ii. causes that is to say other to lack that he coveteth or to lief that he hath won with grete pain.¶ And said to one of his disciples suffice the to eat that will take a way thy hungre& drink that will staunce evangelist remembering well thy soul& follow good works/ learn sapience of the most wysmen that be in this dayes eschew the gynnes that women set to take men withall for they be hynderers of sapience.¶ And said he that loveth this world is like to him that entereth in the see/ for yf he escape the parels of the same men will say/ he is fortunate and yf he be perished thy will say he is wilfully dysceyued.¶ And said man hath power over his words till they be spoken and when he hath ones uttered them he hath no power over them¶ And said he that hath noo power to refreyne his tongue hath noo might for to resist all his other delectacyons. ¶ And said science& speech is good in dyvers wyses& places.¶ And said yf a man be much herde speak one may know yf he be discrete or not& yf he hold his peas or speak little one will the rather deme he be wise¶ And said when a man speaketh he ought to consydere afore what he will said/ for better it is consydere than an other should.¶ And said to one of his disciples/ when thou wilt speak/ speak curteysey or hold thy peas.¶ And said he that holdeth his paes or speaketh little lerneth at the speech of other/& yf he speak other learned at his words. One asked him what was a good pourchasse. he answered that/ that groweth in the spendynge therof. And said drunkship vndoth a man.¶ And said one ought not to axe counsel of him that hath his heart all set to the world/ for his aduis shall be but after his pleasance.¶ And said good counsel sheweth often the end of that work. There was a woman that called him old& said his face was right foul. To whom he answered thou arte so dark& so troublous a mirror that my beauty can te not be perceived therein ∴  
¶ And said he is dyscrene that keepeth well his secrets and he is not wise that dyscouers them.¶ And said a man ought to keep secret that he is desired to keep& he is more to praise that keepeth that thing secret which he is not desired to keep.¶ And said yf thou can not keep thyn own secrets much less will he keep it to whom thou hast told it. One asked him why a wise man will desire to haue counseyl. He said lest his will be in ony wise meddled with his wit.  
¶ And said he that is of good conditions is of good& sure life& is beloved of good people& he hath is of not is of evil conditions is ever the contrary.¶ And said to one of his disciples/ trust not this world for it payeth ever that it promiseth.¶ And said accustume you to be content with little/ for ye shall finde it for the best and that shall come unto you repute it not for little/ for it may increase& multiply/ but seek to win friends in very love showing them no sign of hate. And one asked him what difference was between trouth& lesynges/ he said as much as is between the ere& the eye.¶ And said he that desireth to haue more than suffysaunce hath that profiteth him no thing.¶ And said to one of his disciples trust not in the time for it faileth incontinent to him that trusteth thereto.¶ And said beware thou be not dysceyued by thy beauty& by thy youth/ nor be the health of thy body for thende of thy health shall be sickness/ and the end of thy sickness shall be death and thou mayst not eschew the diseases of this world there was never joy without sorrow nor never light without darkness/ nor never rest without labour/ nor assemble without departing.¶ And said like as the fortune of this world shal make the haue rejoicing vpon thyn enemys right so may it make thyn enemies haue rejoicing of the.¶ And said he that stablyssheth& setteth hȳ self in covenable place is the more sure for the perils of this world.¶ And said he that is fulfilled with the love of this world dysposeth him to .iij. things that is to say first to poverty for he shall never attain to the richesse that he desireth/ secondly to suffer pain/ thirdly to business without expedycyon.¶ And said tell never thy counsel to him that is angry when one prayeth him to keep it secret One asked hȳ what he had won by his sciences/ he said I am as a man sitting on the see side& beholding the simple folkes wrapped in the wawes of the see.¶ And said grete freedom groweth by service for the more one serveth the more fre he becometh.¶ And said he that well win friends let him look first yf he can refreyne them from covetise& yf he can rest than with them and elles sone to depart.¶ And said yf thou be not covetous thou may rest in every place/& the said Socrates had many sayings against women which is not translated/& it was asked of him to what science it was best to set his child to school. He answered to learn that/ that is both profitable in this world and the other/ one asked him when he began to be wise& virtuous/ he answered when first I refreyned myself will. And said when a man is so diligent to learn& loveth so well science that he taketh non hede of praising nor dyspraysynge for the lore therof then is he wise. It was told him that there had no credence be given to al his words. He answered so that my words haue be good& reasonable/ I give no grete force who had believed them or no.¶ And said he is good in the highest degree of goodness that enforceth hȳ to be good himself& he is in the second degree that enforceth him to cause other to be good/& he that recketh of one of these two is to be dispraised.¶ And said to his disciples be not desirous to haue the good not durable but covet to haue that is {per}petually good. And said be not inquisytyf vpon other folkes lest they be inquysytyf vpon the. And said put wit& descrycyon afore the in al thy works& thou shalt be the better garnisshed when thou shalt come to thereaccucyon of the same.¶ And said/ before not to do good dydes all be it they be unknown. There was one dispraised his face/ to whom he said it was not my power to make my face& therfore I ought not to be blamed yf it be foul that that I haue power over I haue made fair/& that that thou hadst power over thou hast foiled.¶ And said be true unto him that compayneth with thee& beareth trouth unto the/& thou shalt be the more sure to eschew daungyers.  
¶ And said do to other as thou wouldest they should do to the/& do to none other but as thou wouldest be done to.¶ And said a man ought to be corrected by experience and taught by the mutacyon of his world ∴  
¶ And said he is liberal that hath greater delectation to haue good renomme than money.¶ And said patience is a strong castle/& hastiness engendereth repentance.¶ And said honour is the fruit of trouth& for thy trouth thy friends shall worship the and thy goodness shall be known not sparynge to do that that shal be profitable.¶ And said it ought suffice a man to know and understand that that he seth daily fall in this world for thereby he may learn new sciences he ought to be worshipped that willeth well to every man& he that will other mennes harms putteth himself in grete peril but the just man resteth in surety.  
¶ And said he that keepeth himself well is a grete conqueror& he that setteth so little by himself that he thinketh not on his soul loseth himself he that is patient doth well& shall not repent him/ and he that holdeth his peas saveth his daungyer. And said let thy seeds be good works& thou shalt gather flowers of joy& of gladness.¶ And said thou shalt haue rest in the company of a wise man and labour in the company of a fool.¶ And said to be satisfied with little is worship and not to be satisfied with much is shane.¶ And said inquire when thou hast done ony default and yf thou haue erred correct thyself& repent thee& after that repentance ware thou fall no more thereto/& look thou vaunt the not of ony of thy good dedys.¶ And said he that preyseth him that doth well is partner of his good dedys.¶ And said company not with him that knoweth not himself.¶ And said he is in grete rest that resrayneth him from anger.¶ And said he is well disposed that can temper his delynge& his speech.¶ And said take no shane to here trouth of whom so ever thou hearest it for trouth is so noble that it worshyppeth those that pronounce it.¶ And said that thing that keepeth a man from shane is better than richesse purchased thereby.¶ And said many men may apperceyue faults in themself that finde faults in all othrr.¶ And said to a man that fled vaynquysshed from a battle thou dost evil to flee from the honourable death to the shameful life.¶ And said he that erreth or he know the trouth ought the sooner to haue forgiveness.¶ And said much wine and sapience may not accord/ for they be in maner contraryous.¶ And said suffysaunce is a castle that keepeth wise men from evil works¶ And said yf he can not eschew Ire yet keep it secret.¶ And said that thing that a fool loseth can never be recovered/ but a wise man can lese nothing. There was a fool that blamed him wherefore one of his fellows asked him leave to avenge him to whom he said a wise man giveth never licence to do amiss ¶ And said all things be strengthed and sustained by justice& all things be amenysshed& feblysshed by injustice.¶ And said all that thou dost may not be kept counsel all be it. It be not now understanden it shall be known at sometime.¶ And said good renomme is better than richesse/ for richesse will be lost& renomme will last. sapience is a richesse that will never fail nor admynysshe.¶ And said beware the of the drunkship for the wit that is overcome with wine is like the horse that casteth his master.  
¶ And said take hede of the guiding of him that thou axes counsel of/ yf he govern himself evil by lykly hood right so evil he guide the/ for by reason he ought to love himself better than the.¶ And said beware thou break not the laws that be for the commune profit.¶ And said poverty is better than evil gotten richesse.¶ And said a man without science is like a realm without a king.¶ And said a king ought to take none to his service but such as he hath proved afore good& true.¶ And said he that taketh all men in like condition may not make them all his friends.¶ And said commytte all thy causes to god with out ony excepcyon.¶ And said repute not thy sins little nor magnify thy good dedys for thou shalt haue need of them yf they were more.¶ And said to his disciples beware of this world& think it is a thorn bush that thou must tread vpon.¶ And said like as those that ben wordly wise keep them from anger in the presence of their king by a great reason ought they to beware how they anger them afore god that is to understand in every place. For god is over all.¶ And said he that is long or he be angry is harder to appease than he that is lyghly wrath right as the green wode is hotter than the other when it is well kyndeled. There were brought afore him certain people which said diverse injuries to him he answered yf ye haue ony other matter to wynne of me than this do it or ellys hold your peas. There was greater reverence made to an other man than to him wherefore one asked him yf he had ony envy there at. He answered yf he had more science than I/ I wolde haue had envy at him or ellys not.¶ And said sapience& good renomme is not found but in good persons wherefore they be better than the great richesse that is found in foul& evil people.¶ And said thy soul ought to think well and thy body to help thereto.¶ And said that thou oughtest keep secret in thy courage dyscouere it not to every man.¶ And said one unto him that saw him in a poor clothing this is 
Platon  not Socrates thus poorly arrayed that gave the laws to the people of Athenes to whom he answered the true lawe is not made by good arayement but by virtue/ reason/& science. And said to his disciples dispreyse the death& semblably dread it. and said a wise man ought to know what is his soul.   

PLaton is by interpretacyon as much to say as endeth or fulfilled and was of grece by his faders side he was of the noble Esculapius kindred& by his moders side of the kindred of zalon that ordained diverse laws as it is above said he dwelled with Socrates the space of five yeres/ and after the death of the said Socrates he understood that in egypt were certain of pythagoras disciples to whom he went& profited much in learning with them he returned than again to Athenes/& there he ordained two scoles& used laudable life in doing good works helping and nourishing the needy people. And they of Athenes wolde haue made him their lord. He refused it utterly for as much as he knew them of bad& wicked conditions and knew well that could not lightly change their dysposycyons. And also he wist well yf he should correct them like as it appertaineth they would serve hȳ as they did Socrates. The said Plato lived .lxi. yeres a man of good discretion disposition& eight patient& a grete giver of his goods to poor men& to strangers. And he had many disciples among the which .ii. of them after his death that is to wit zenocrates& Aristoteles held the scoles.  
And the said Platon did teach his sapience by allegorye to thentent that it should not be understand but by witty men And he learned it of tymeo& of Socrates/ he made .vi. books& preached& taught the people that they should give graces and thankes to god for his goodness and mercy/ and for that he made them all equal in so much that be a man never so mighty his power can no more than yf he were a poor creature resist against death semblably he bad and thanked god for the wit that he hath given unto man.¶ And said image no thing to be in him but that is needful good and convenable.¶ And said he not covetous vpon worldly goods/ for god hath ordained that we should haue suffysaunce in this world. And such suffysaunce is called sapience/ the which ye ought to haue with the dread of god which is the key of goodness/ whereby ye may entre& attain to the good and true richesse of this world leaving to do all thing that may cause hattered& evil will for and ye wist howe some things that ye love and praise are evil and vile/ ye wolded haue them in more hattered than love.¶ And said direct and amend yourself and after labour to correct other and yf ye do not ye shall be dampned. And I tel you the thing that hath made me silver/ most glad Is that I haue not set by gold ne for yf I had gathered grete treasure I should haue had many heavy thoughts where I haue now joy& gladness which increaseth daily in me in learning wisdom& for to let you wete that gold and silver are not good to be overmuch set by. There is some contre that a little ivory or vnycorne bone is bought for a great some of gold& in other places men take glasses brass and other such things/ for as much gold. And therfore yf it were perfitly good of himself he should be equally chosen& loved over all like as sapience is chosen and loved in every contre.¶ And said inquire and seek to haue virtues and ye shall be saved/ praise no foul things& blame no thing that is laudable& trauayll you not for to win things that shall lightly be lost follow after your good predecessors array you with justice& cloth you with chastity& so ye shall be happy& your works lauded¶ And said custom is a great thing.¶ And said the wicked works damn& destroy the good& the byttrenesse of alloe three destroyeth the sweetness of hony.¶ And said a wise man ought not to think on his losses but ought to keep well the remnant of his good.¶ And said he that doth not for his friends while he may they will leave hȳ when he shall haue most need to them.¶ And he said that sapience is good for she can never be lost as other cattles& wordly goods may. And it was asked him where by a wise man might be known/& he answered when he will not be wrath of the injuries that ben done unto him& rejoiceth him not when men praise him. And it was asked of him howe men might best be venged of their enemies he answered for to be virtuous& to do good and noble dedys.¶ And said to his disciples enforc you to gete sciences/ by the which ye shall direct your souls. And do your part for to keep the lawe in such wise that your maker may be content with you And he saw a young man that had sold the lyuelode that was come to him by succession& he dispend it amiss in grete dyvers& other mysrewle to whom he said the earth eateth other men but thyself etest the earth. And it was asked of him why it is that treasure& science may not accord to guider and he answered& said that one thing hole accomplysshed may not be divided.¶ And said that he that trusteth in his fortune and is not somewhat busy& diligent to labour in good works the good resorted from him as doth the arrow from the ston that it hath light vpon ∴  
¶ And said he that teacheth good to other and doth it not himself. Is like to him that lyghteth a candle to an other& goth himself darkelynge.¶ And said a king ought not to be greatly praised that reigneth onely but vpon his subiectes/ but he ought to haue laud the reigneth& hath lordship vpon his enemies¶ And said he that gadreth& assembleth much silver ought not to be called rich but he that dispendeth it worshypfully and laudably. And some asked him how one might keep hȳ from need. And he answered yf men by rich late him live temporatly& soberly& yf they be poor let thē labour diligently. Than some asked him of how much good a man ought to be content And he answered to haue so much as he needeth not to flatter nor borrow of other..¶ And said to his disciples when ye shall be weary of studying/ sport you in redynge good stories.¶ And said that the wise man ought not to covet the rychesses of his friend lest he be hated and dispraise him therfore.¶ And said a little good is a great thing yf thou be content there with.¶ And said it is better and a more covenable thing to a king to remember& se to the good governance of his people the space of a day than for to dance& sport him a hole year.¶ And said works done by wisdom causeth knowledge of things& them discreetly to dyscerue& works done by ignorance is an unknown thing till trouth stable& set them in their right way& works done by lesynges is for to disorder good things and put them out of their proper places.¶ And said thou shalt never be patient while thou art covetous& it was asked hȳ how he might haue learned so much wisdom he answer because I haue put more oil in my lampe to study by than wine in my cup. And it was asked of him what man is most covenable for to govern a town/& he answered he that can well govern himself/& it was also asked of him what man was most worthy to be called wise/& he answered he that taketh most hede to good counsel& casteth most doubts.¶ And said that the vessels of gold be proved& known by their sown yf they be broken or hole so are men proved& known by their speech yf they be wise or fools/ and It was asked him which be the most ignorant men in their deeds/& he said such as work most after their own counsel& that obey to themself/ and for defaunte of good advisement dispose them hardly to do wicked deeds. And they asked him who doth most wrong to himself. And he said he that meketh him to those that he ought not.¶ And said the ignorant people Iugeth lightly the fairness or the filth that they se outward/& the wise man iugeht by that that they se of mannes conditions.¶ And said he findeth sapience that seeketh her by the right way and many err because they seek her vnduely& blame her without cause.¶ And said he that is ignorant of good sapience knoweth not himself. And the person the which knoweth not himself is of all Ignorauntes the most ignorant/ and he is wise that knoweth ignorance and he that knoweth it not is ignorant.¶ And said wrath leadeth shane in a lese. And said the king resembled to a grete river growing of little and small running waters/ and therfore yf he be sweet the little should be sweet and yf he be salt the little should be salt.¶ And said be well ware that in battle thou trust not all onely in thy strength dispreysynge thyn natural wit causeth victory with out might/ but vnneth may men haue victory by strength without use of natural wit.¶ And said words without good effect is like a grete water that drowneth the people& doth itself no profit.¶ And said a suspeccyous man is of evil conditions& liveth in sorrow.¶ And said be not willing to use ony wordly delectacyons unto the time that ye se whether wit& reason grant thereto/& yf these two accord thou mayst well& lightly know the fairness& the filth therof/& in what wise they vary/& what difference is between them.¶ And said the realms aren sometime lost by negligence/ and sometime for using to much idleness& also by to grete trusting in fortune. Also when men intend not to increase the people to in habit the land. and also when war lasteth long therein.¶ And said the end of indignation is to be ashamed of himself And it was asked of him how a wise man could be troubled/& he answered when he is compelled to tell the trouth of an unknown thing to him.¶ And said when thou shalt se a man of good disposition and full of perfection thou ought to do after him for covetise is both weke& seek in him to do after him.¶ And said dispraise not a little thing for it may increase.¶ And said blame not nor rebuk a man when he is wrath/ for than thou mayst not direct him.¶ And said be not glad of the evil fortune of another/ for thou knowest not how the world may turn against the.¶ And said stable thy wit both at thy right hand& thy left& thou shalt be fre.¶ And said there be .iii. things that doth me harm to se/ that is to say. Aryche man fallen in poverty/ a worshipful man dispreysed/& a wise man mocked and scorned by ignorant people.¶ And said be not in fellowship with the wicked men for no good that they can promise the.¶ And said when a realm is in prosperity/ covetise is bound to the king of the same realm. And when a realm is in adversity the king is bound to covetise.¶ And said covet not that thy things be hastily done but desire onely that they be well done.¶ And said a man ought to be better content and is more bound to his prince for one fair word of him than yf other had give him grete gifts.¶ And said the gifts that ben given to the good people asked retribution and the gifts that be given to the naughty people causeth them but to ask more.¶ And said the wickedness followeth after the wicked men& dyspreayseth all goodness/ like as the fly that eateth vpon corrupt things and leaveth the sweet flowers.¶ And said hast thou not to praise ony thing unto the time that thou knowest yf it be worthy for to be praised or not.  
¶ And said that a wise man ought not to exalt himself before the vnconnynge but meek him& thank god that it hath pleased him to exalt him in grace& put pain to bring him out of his ignorance in the way of right wysnesses& courtesy for yf he should rebuk him shamefully it should be cruelty& to instruct him easily is courtesy.¶ And said that .ii. disputers disputynge& arguynge for to haue knowlech of the trouth of a thing haue noo cause to be wrath together for their question falleth to one conclusion but and yf the one thinketh for to conquere the other they may haue lightly hatred together for as much as each of them will bring his fellow to his own intent /& so to subdue his opinion.¶ And said when thou wilt borrow or axe ony thing of ony man yf it be refused that thou ought to be more ashamed of thyn asking than he of his refuse.¶ And said he that can not nor will govern himself is not able to govern many other.¶ And said a wiseman ought to ask curteysely& meekly& with few words like as the leech that draweth more blood of a man meekly& without noise than doth the syncerolle that pricketh faster& maketh more noise.¶ And said a man of feeble courage annoyeth him lightly of that he loveth.¶ And said enforce thyself to know god& dread him/ pain thee for to know thyself& to teach other and rather to do so than do busy the in thyn other daily occupations.¶ And said desire nothing of god/ but that is profitable but desire of him the good that is durable love not simply the good life here/ but principally the good end.¶ And said he is unhappy that continueth in his malice and thinketh not on his end.  
¶ And said reckon not thy getting in things that ben from the/ ne tarry not to do for them that haue done for the till they ask the/ the recompense.¶ And said he is not very wise that gladdeth or rejoiced him in worldly prosperytes/ and is troubled in aduersytes.¶ And said the filth of wordly wit is known in much speech.¶ And said first think and afterward speak and than execute/ for things change lightly.¶ And said anger the not suddenly/ for yf thou acustome it/ it will torn ones to thy harms.¶ And said yf thou be willing to give ony thing to ony needy body/ tarry not till to morrow/ for thou knowest not what may befalle the/& give to him that may not labour ne gete his lyunge.¶ And said be not wise onely in seeing but in dedys for the speech wasteth in the world& the spaience of dedys is profitable in the everlasting world.¶ And say our lord accepteth him for noble that doth good works though he be peaceable of little words/ reputeth for evil the prayerers& sacrifices that ben done by evil people.¶ And said yf thou labour to do good thou shalt therfore suffer no pain/ for yf thou hast delectation to do synen thy delectation shall vanish& be none& thy sin shall abide ever with the.¶ And said haue in mind the day that thou shal be called to thy judgment and thou shalt here no thing& than thy claterynge tongue shall be still/ the thought shall fail the/ thyn eyen shall be dark/ and thyn humanity shall be consumed in to the earth/ and thy wit so corrupt that thou shalt haue no power to feel the stench of thy body/ nor how the worms shall suck thy roten karyen. Also haue in mind the place where thou shalt go/ the lords& the servants shal be all like in the said place& that there may neither friend no foo hurt nor help the. And therfore learn good sciences& discipline/ for thou shalt not know when thy departing out of this world shall be/& yet be certain that amongs all the gifts of god sapience is the most excellent/ she giveth goodenes to the good people& {per}donneth to the wicked their wickedness think and haue in thy mind continually that thou hast to do all/ and trust not in ony things of his moeuable world be well ware that thou do no foul dedys for no delectacyons nor wynnynges/ and beware that for the variable pleafaunces of this wicked world thou lese not the joyful& everlasting bliss.¶ And said love sapience understand& hearken the wisemen& be obeyssant to thy lord work not but in due time& yet take hede how thou shalt do it/ look that thou say no word vnconuenyent/& be not proud for no rychesses/ ne despeyre the not for none evil fortunes be well disposed to all people& disprase no man for his meekness.¶ And said that thou reputest no vice in thyself blame not an other though he do it and thou ought not to dsyre to be praised of virtues that be not in the/ ne do no such thing that thou wouldest blame or dispraise an other yf he did it thou must do such things as ben good& covenable though they be forboden thee.¶ And said a wise man ought to repute his error grete& his good dedys little.¶ And said a folly is to cut the sins and take away the evil branches therof& to leave within ourself the couetyses& otehr wyckednesses.¶ And said like as we keep ourself from the multitude of meats for the health of our body we ought by a great reason to abstain us fro vices for the salvation of our souls.¶ And said the that addeth to his gentleness noblesse with good manners and conditions is worthy to be praised& he that taketh& sufficeth him onely with the gentleness that cometh to him by his kindred without purchassynge ony other virtues ought not to be called good nor to be hold noble.¶ And said yf thou feel thyself more true to the king than other ben& that thy wages ben like to theirs or less/ yet thou ought not to complain therof for thyn are lasting& so are not theirs.¶ And said yf ony haue envy at thee and by envy saith evil of the set not there by and thou shalt haue peas with him for he seeketh not but for to haue noise with the.¶ And said men ought to keep well their holy dayes that is to wit principally from evil doing.¶ And said the more that thou art exalted in high estate the more thou ought to be meek and courteous to the people to the end that their love may abide with the/ yf ony thing should befall the otherwise than well.¶ And said vnneth may a man keep the love of his friends yf he will correct him rudely of his faults.¶ And said a wise man ought for to thece good men to be his servants like as men cheese the good ground for to labour it.   


Arystotell  ARystotell by interpretacyon in greeks tongue is fulfilled or complete of goodness/ and he was sone to Nychomacus/ the which was right cnonynge in physic& a good physycyen& was born in the town of stragre& he was of the kindred both by his faders side& by his moders side of Esculapius of the which here before hath bemade mention. For he was in his time the most excellent and the best of all the greeks. And when the said Arestotell was .viii. year of age his father put him in the city of Athenes that than was called the city of wisdom/ and there he learned gramarye rethoryke and other books of poetry and therm he studied the space of .ix. yeres profytynge greatly therein. And in those dayes men set much store by the foresaid sciences& was their opinion that it was the laddre to go up in to all other sciences.¶ And certain other wisemen at the same time as pythagoras and Pytoras and dyvers other reputed and held the said sciences for noo science and did but mock and scorn them that learned them saying that such science as gramarye Rethoryke and poetry were not covenable to come to ony wisdom. And that gramayre is not but for to teach children poetry but for to tell fables and to make lesynges Rethoryke for to speak fair and in tremes. And when Arystotell herde these words he had grete marvel therof and was greatly agreued with such as held the same opinion& strenghted him after his power to sustain all manner of gramaryens the peotes/ and also the rethorycyeus. And said plenyly that sapience can not excuse her of the said sciences for reason is an Instrument of wit as it appeareth openly that knowing of ony thing is to use of reason. And this prerogatyue which god hath given to men is right noble and worthy to thentente that amongs the men he should be holden for the most noble and most wise that more useth of reason ∴  
¶ And that better and more covenable receiveth in his heart things and telleth them in place an time covenable and for as much as sapience is most noble of all other things she ought to be declared by the best reason and convenable manner and by the most pleasant and short words that can be done without error or letting the sentence for yf the reason be spoken parfytely the name of wisdom is lost thereby/& so is the speaker in fault/ and so the herers resten in doubt of the sentence. And after that Arystotell could the sciences above said he learned of plato in a place called epydeme ethykes and the .iiii. sciences theologykes and that time he was .xvii. year of age. And when Platon went the second time in to Cecyle he left Arystotell in his place in the said twone of epydeme/ in the which he taught the science& learned it. And after the death of Plato the king Phylyppe of macedon sent for Arystotell which went to him in macedon/& there dwelled with him during his life teaching continually the said science and after the death of king Philyppe reigned his sone Alexandre the great/ and when Alexandre departed from macedon for to go in to the country and region of dayse tho returned Arystotell to Athenes& ther he dwelled .x. yeres studienge till that he became a common clerk/ and a pressed accused him by envy to the Cytezyns telling them that he worshipped not their idols like as other people did at that time/ whereof Arystotell was advertised& hastily departed fro Athenes& went in the town of Setagyre where he was born ferynge that they of Athenes wolde haue done to him as they dyde to Socrates yf he had dwelled longer with them. And he ordained a place in Setagyre where he held and kept the scoles giving many good instruccyons to the people and occupeyd the time in good dedys and gave great almesdedys to poor people& married many poor children that were father less and moder less.¶ And he thought benygnely all tho that wolde study. What estate or nation that ever they were of/ and edified& buyled new again the said eyte yf Setagyre& there in ordained laws and gave instruccyons to kings and princes which they took and kept right reverently. And after he dyed in the age of .lxiii. yeres they of Satagyre took his bones and right worshypfully put them in a shrine where they held their counsel for his grete wit/ and also for the great and fervent love that they had to him. And as oftentimes as they had to do ony grete matter for to haue the declaration therof the men which were of counsel would go and stand as nigh the said shrine where the bones were as they could/ for to haue knowledge of the trouth of their matter. And thus they did for to worship him the more and their opinions and very trust were for onely being nigh the said shrine their wits should be the better& their understanding more pure and subtle.¶ And the said Arystotell had in his time many kings sones that were his disciples. And he made in his dayes well an hundred books/ of the which we haue now .xxviii. in logyke .viii. in nature/ the book of Ethykes/ the book of Polytykes/ the book of Metaphysyke that is name theologyke/ and the books of the wits of geometry. And Platon rebuked him bycavse that he wrote his sciences in books/ to whom he said in excusynge him/ that it is a thing known& notified enough that all tho that loved science ought to do nothing that should cause the loss of her/ and therfore it is good to compose& make books by the which science shal be learned/ and when our memory shal fail it shall be recovered by mean of books. For he that hateth science shall not profit in it thought it be so that he se the books and behold them yet shall he set not by it but depart wors and less wise than he was afore. And I haue made and ordained my books in such form that the wisemen shall lightly and easily understand them but the ignorant men shall haue but little avail be them.¶ And the said Arystotell held gladly in his hand an instrument of stars¶ And said to king Alexandre he that hath in this world good and laudable name and the grace of god ought to ask ne desire none other thing.¶ And said thus to him direct thyself first for yf thou be not just how mayest thou well direct thy people& yf thou be in error thou canst never govern them well/ for a poor man can not make an other rich he that is dysworshypped can not worship an other/ he that is right seble may not help an other/& so may not goodely ne well ony man direct an other/ but yf he direct himself first. And therfore yf thou will take of the fylthes from other cleanse thyself first ∴  
Or elles thou shalt be as the leech that is seek& can not hele himself& travaileth to hele other that haue the same sickness.¶ And said it is a grete chastysement to the people to haue a right wys lord/ and it is a great corruption unto them to haue a corrupt and mysruled king.¶ And said keep the fro covetise/ for thou oughtest to think and remember well that it is not laudable think to haue rychesses in this world and shane in the other seeing that this world is no more but onely a baytynge place for to go to the other world.¶ And said yf thou will be rich suffice the with such as thou hast for he that hath not suffysaunce can never be rich what goods that ever he hath.¶ And said yf it were so that by evil doing it should fortune the to haue some good/ and by well doing to haue some harm/ yet eschew the evil or ellys thou shalt be deceived at last/ and ever do well and at last thou shalt be remunered therfore.¶ And said such things as thou preyses vpon they self blame it not vpon an other. And do noo thing to other but as thou wouldest it were done to the refrain thyn own will and hate not other men/ be not envious and haue him not in indignation that hath offensed thee for noo man can sometime eschew error/ be not covetous/ for covetise letteth the mannes reason and taketh away the knowledge of trouth. Do not vnconuenable works/ take company with wisemen& study in their books. Fle lesynges/ for the liars lain not but for vnknowynge of reason. And yf their souls the lest harm that can fall to a liar is that no man bylyueth him of no thing that he said. nevertheless man may better beware of a thief than of a liar.¶ And said/ the hearts of good people accorden togyders. like as the running water with the water of the See.¶ And the hearts of evil people can not lightly accord together/ all be it that they be together as the vnresonable bestes that play& leap together& suddenly fall to fighting ∴  
¶ And said ordained that your offices& authorities ben given to them that loveth and followeth trouth& ryghtwysenes and cause them to haue rigorous pains that ben harmedoers and loveth falsholde and decepcyon.¶ And said yf ye haue doubt in ony thing counsel you to wisemen and yf they dispraise you therof be ye never wroth therfore/ and a man hath some vice& beside that hath many virtues ye ought not therfore to let to ask him counsel.¶ And said many man shall both let& trouble the that can not help the.¶ And said justice is a measure the which god hath ordained vpon the earth by the which the feeble is defended from the mighty& the true from the virtue.¶ And said the wise man knoweth what ignorance is in as much as sometime he hath ben ignorant/ but the ignorant was never wise& therfore he knoweth not what is wisdom.¶ And said to Alexandre there be many little besynesses in thy realm and grete and general/ and yf thou give power to ony person vpon the grete/ and thyself to occupy the little thou shalt well wit and perceive that grete damage shall there be fall to the in time coming yf it falleth not sooner.¶ And said liberality is to give to needy people or to him that hath deserved it so that the gift be after the possibility of the giver for he that giveth over reason ought to be called waster and not liberal.¶ And said sapience is the defence of the soul/ and the myrroure of reason/ wherefore he is right blessed that travaileth to haue her/ for she is the fundament and the roote of all noble dedys and laudable things and by her we may win the good end/ and keep us from pain everlasting.¶ And said O Alexander yf thou use thy power& lordship other wise than thou oughtest to do thou shalt be envy/ of envy shall come lesynges/ of lesynges shall come injustice and ennymyte of injustice& ennemyte shall come battle/& by battle the lawe shall be {per}ysshed the people hurt& thy possessions lost. But yf thou use thy lordship as thou oughtest to do trouth shall increase in thy realm of trouth shal come justice/ of justice love/ of love grete gifts and surety by the which the lawe thy people& thy goods shall be maintained& increase.¶ And said he that maketh his realm seruant to the lawe shall reign& he that taketh& put out the lawe from the realm shall not reign.¶ And said a king ought to be of good& strong courage to remember well the end of the works& to be curteys& fre/& to refrain his wrath where it aperteyneth& show it where it needeth to keep him from covetise to be true to govern him as nigh as he may after his good predecessors/ to give to his men as they haue deserved to defend& keep the lawe& the faith& ever to do well aft{er} his might. And yf the strength of his body faileth him than to keep the might of his courage by the which he shal be the more assured in all his nedys.¶ And said the king that governeth hȳ& his realm well by his wisdom is worthy to be greatly praised& lauded.¶ And said to Alexander search to win the riches that be not transytoryes the life that is not moeuable the kyngedom that can not be taken away from the/& the everlasting joy& be pytefull but not so much that thou stand in daungyer thereby/ do punycyon& justice to them that haue deserved it without delay trauayl the to fortefye the lawe for in that is the love and dread of god& when thou shalt be compelled to take vengeance of thyn enemy put it not over till an other day for the fortune an conditions of this world moeue and change oftentimes suddenly.¶ And said thou ought not to hate him that saith the sooth nor to chide hȳ that keepeth the faith but he that shall do contrary to the faith be thou his enemy with all thy power of thy realm.¶ And said it is better that thou correct thyself and amend thee after the example of thy predecessors than thy successors should amend them after the example of the.¶ And said worship the good men& thereby thou shalt haue the love of the people& set not all thy will in this world in the which thou mayest not long abide.¶ And said worship sapience& fortefye it by good maystres/ disciples/& scholars worship them pay for their expenses and bepe them of thy household after that thou shalt se they shall be profited& speed in the science/& thou shalt finde that grete profit and worship shall come to the therfore.  
¶ And said he is of big& strong courage of good discretion& laudable faith that beareth pacyentely all his aduersytes for a man can not be known in his prosperity.¶ And said thou ought to think that the wedest of all thyn enemies is stronger than thyself.¶ And said thou ought to cherish thy knights& thy yomanry& to haue them in as great love in time of paes as in time of war/ for yf thou set little by them in time of paes/ thy shall forsake the when thou shalt haue more need of them.¶ And said the greatest profit that thou canst do in thy realm is to take away the wicked people& to reward the good¶ And said a man is of evil condition that taketh no hede but to the vices& faults of other in dyspreysynge of them.¶ And said worshipful death is better than shameful life.¶ And said the sapience of a man of low degree is worship& the folly of him that is of high degree is a shane& avarice is the thing that taketh a way the name of gentleness.¶ And said the good prince ought to govern the people as his good predecessors haue done& to love& cherish the good& true people more than his treasure or other wordly goods& to delight him in that that he hath right wysly and not wrongfully.¶ And said no man ought to be ashamed to do justice for yf the king be not iustycyal he is not king but he is violent& rapax.¶ And said the wicked men obey for dread/& the good for their goodenes.¶ And said men ought to do well to the good people& to chastise the wicked by rigour. And said wrath ought not be to sharp ne to sweet and he wrote an epystole to Alexander that the kings ben worshipped for .iij. things/ that is wit for instruccyon of good laws for conquests of lands& regions& for to peoplysshe& destroy deserts& wilderness/ and he wrote also to Alexandre that he should not be willing to correct all mennes faults to rygorously for it lieth not entirely in mannes power to keep him fro doing evil& therfore it is good sometime to forgive errors. And yf it be so that punycyon must be done men ought too show that they do it by compulsyon to amend and punish the errors and not in manner nor by way of vengeance. And he saw a man that had his hand smitten of for theft that he had done. And he said for as much as that man had taken from other such as was not their own/ men haue take from him that/ that was his.¶ And said thou mayst not so wele cause thy people to love thee as to cherish them& show them ryghtwysnesse and yf thou dost the contrary though thou hast the lordship of their bodies thou hast not the lorshyp of their hearts ne of their courages/& that shalt thou finde when thou callest vpon their service at thy need wherefore it is a grete danger for a king to do injury and do make his people hate hȳ.¶ And said he is right happy that can chastise himself taking example by other.¶ And said fortyfye your souls with good dedys& depart you from couetyses which destroyeth the feeble courages/ there is no thing that maketh a man less to be set by than to praise& boast himself of his good dedys. And it was asked of him what is the cause that wisemen will not be wrath& ony man will teach them/ and he answered for as much as wisemen known the science is a right profitable thing.¶ And said he that will not nor can not do well at lest ought to keep hȳ from evil doing.¶ And said to his disciples/ look that ye haue .iiij. eeres/ two for to hearken and learn sciences& profitable things and the other two for your other wordly besynesses. The most profitable thing to the world is the death of the evil people.¶ And said a man may not be so well known as in grete authority.¶ And said in all things the leste quantity is the lighter to bear save onely in sciences for he that hath most therof the lighter may he bear it/ and it was asked of him what was the most covenable thing for a discrete man to haue/ and he answered that that should abide with him yf he were escaped out of adrowned ship in the see. And said men ought to love to learn the best of the sciences as the bees love the swettest of the flowers.¶ And he had a noble& worshipful heritage of the which he let other haue the governance& would not go theder himself and it was asked him the cause. And he answered that he that ofteneth goth to se his herytages hath more dyspleasures.¶ And said the tongue of a fool is the key of his secret.¶ And said to one that was slothful and wolde not learn hearken thou will not take the pain for to learn thou shalt haue the pain to be lewd and vnconnynge.¶ And said keep thee from the fellowship of him that knoweth not hȳ self they that ben daily inclined& utterly disposed to vices may not increase in good ne proufyte in science.  
¶ And said yf thou will habandone to thy body all his will thou shalt be the worse both in health& in all other things and at last thy soul shall be dampned therfore He that is entirely inclined to do fornycacyon may not be praised ne come to good end.  
¶ And said a merry man will not lightly be wrath Alyberall man may not well be envious ne a covetous man content with his richesse.¶ And said the man is proved and tried by his works as the gold by the fire. One of his disciples made to him an evil report of one of his fellows to whom he said I will not believe thyn evil words against thy fellow nor I will not believe his evil words against the.¶ And said like as the rain may not proufyte to the corn that is sown vpon the dry stones nomore can studying avail to a fool/ a mannes tongue she weth his wit or his folly. experience ought to correct a man& to help him to live well.¶ And said sapience maketh richesse to be fair& hideth poverty. It was asked of him what was fair speaking/& he answered to speak little& laudably& to give reasonable answers/& he wrote thus to alexander/ ye be a noble& mighty king& more mighty than ye were& shall encrece yf ye direct& govern well& justly your people/& in so doing the people shall obey you/ but yf ye be an extorcyoner& take all their good fro them than ye shall be lord of the poor people/& than shall ye be like him the hath lever govern the dom bestes than the men/ ne there is no thing so covenable to a king as to covet vnduely the goods of his people.¶ And said he that hath a little of trouth desired to haue more.¶ And said reason maketh a man to be more common than bestes& he that hath no reason is but a beest in many things/ the newest is the best but love is contrary for the elder it is the more is it worth/ and one abrakyn lord of sciences asked him what thing a man ought to learn first that seeketh sapience/ to whom he answered the government of the soul in as much as she is everlasting& more noble without ony comparison than ony thing that we haue than they asked hȳ how may the soul acquere sapience& he answered as a seek man seeketh his phisycyen& as a blyndeman enquyreth of the colours to them that se them/& it was asked of hȳ how a soul might se herself/& he answered the soul that lacketh sapience can se nothing as the eyen without light that neither se the self nor other. And said all maner of things haue propertes& the property of discretion is to choose well the good fro the evil¶ And said the lordshypes won by study dangers& pains& so kept ought well continue& prosper/& those that be lightly won& kept in joy& pleasance come to a little profit at last/& we se commonly the towns wherein the inhabitants take grete labour be well maintained& increase with grete rychesses/& the twones full of pleasance& delices fall to ruin and destruction.¶ And said hastenesse of speech maketh men to err.¶ And said I marvel how he that men laud without cause/ accept it and is pleased with all/ and he of whom men say evil without cause is angry with all.¶ And said look that thou be not as the bolter which casteth out the floure and keepeth the bran.¶ And said men ought not to take the governance of the people to a child to him also that can not anowe the nedys of the poor people to him that is covetous to him that will work without delyberacyon ne him that is vengeable.¶ And said there is no difference betwixt a child of age& a child of manners as of condition what age that ever he be of for the conditions of men aren known and shewed by dedys and not by age.¶ And said it is needful to a man yf he will be good that he be able of himself to know trouth and do it in dede or elles that he learn it of other/ for he that of himself can not understand it nor will learn it can not be good.¶ And said goodenesse is divided in three manners/ the first is in the body/ the .ii. in souls/ and the thyrde in the operacyons whereof the most noble is the goodenes of the soul/ for in using the virtue there of is found and known the form in good dedys.¶ And said a man findeth sapience and good conditions in long learning of very science.¶ And said there be many persons that known the good works& do them not which resemblen the seek folkes that axe help and counsel of the leech and do no thing there after/ and therfore the bodies ben without health& the souls without blessedness.¶ And said one may know the inward dysposycyons of a man by his outward operacyons.  
¶ And said well doing is a laudable thing nevertheless it is some what hard to do but lightly one may do evil as an archyer fail of the butte is no wonder but to hit the prick is a grete mastery.¶ And said in diuers maner we may be evil but we may not be good but in one way.& said default of wit causeth many harms& maketh many men to fall by ignorance not knowing what thing to be done or left¶ And said aged folkes love to guider and so do not children/ for old folkes haue their delectacyons like and young folkes in diuers ways.¶ And said a grete acomplysshynge of mennes felicity is to be well frended than a man without fellowship can not haue hole felicity.¶ And said every man that need of friends whether he standeth in good case or in bad yf he standeth in evil condition they for to help him/& yf he stand in good case he to make merry him& cherish them that they may help him to resist inconuenyentes that might fall.¶ And said none hath delectation in justice but the just man/ none hath favour to sapience but the wiseman/ and none loveth frendeshyp but the true friend.¶ And said the wicked men sustain their perils by their bodily strength& the good men suffer their perils pacyentely by the virtue of their souls which patience cometh not by might of arm nor of hand nor none other membre/ but onely of grace of the soul/& thereby to rysyste against covetise& other grieves of this world trusting therfore after to come to bless.& he wrote to king Alexander in this form thou oughest to obey well the commandments of god/ for he hath given the thy desires& that that thou hast asked of him.¶ And said sapience is life& ignorance is death/& therfore he that is sapyent is a live for he understandeth what he doth and he that is ignorant is dead for he understandeth not what he doth.¶ And said the antyquite of the time maketh the works old and bideth nothing but renomme which resteth in the hearts of successors/ it is needful than to conquer good renommee& thereby shall endure noblesse.¶ And said losing is the sickness of the soul which can not be heled but by the mean of reason which lieth never.¶ And said a much wiseman is he that pronounceth not the things unto the time that he is present that will understand them. And the best speaker is he that speaketh not till he is well purveyed what he shall say. And the best werkeman is he that beginneth not his work unto the time that he hath well disputed& auysed it in his heart neither is none that ought to haue so much thought as the wiseman/ for it is necessayre to him to be purveyed and certain of his works.¶ And said men are more inclined to covetise than to reason/ for covetise hath accompanied them from their childhood and reason cometh not to them till that they be of infinite age.¶ And saith children hath their masters when they teach them for they know not what good may befall them thereby/ but think onely on the labour of the pain of their learning. And that said Arystotell called Alexander axynge him questions vpon the governance of the lords and of the people/ to whom Alexander gave good answers/ but nevertheless Aristoteles bet him with a rod/& it was asked of him why he had bet him without cause/& he answered this child is like& able to be a grete lord and a mighty king/ and I haue bete him all onely for to hold him lowly and in meekness for he shall be to son proud.¶ And said yf thou canst direct an other direct him as thyself. And a young man asked him why he was so poor/ to whom he answered/ my poverty hath no thing offenced mean doth me no harm/ but thyn hath done the& shall do harms enough¶ And said the realms ben maintained by the laws 
Alexander  ordained by the king& princes.¶ And said the kings and princes ben sustained and up hold by knighthood/ and the knights ben maintained by the money/ and money cometh of the peopie/ and the people is governed by Iustice without which noo realm may prosper.   

ALexander the grete was sone to Phylype king of macedon which Phylyppe reigned .vij. year. And the said Alexander began to reign in the .xviii. year of his age¶ And he said to his people in this wise. fair lords I will in noo wise be contrary to your wills ne to your dedys/ but I show to you that I hate fraudes and malyces/& as I haue loved you during my faders life so will I do in time coming.& I both counsel and pray you that ye dread god& obye him as sovereign of all/ and cheese him for king and be most obeyssaunt to him that shall best puruaye for the good estate of his people/& that shall be most debonayr& merciful to poor folkes that best shall keep justice& the right of the feeble against the mighty/ him also that shall best dispose for the public well/& for no delectation of worldly pleasaunces shall not be slowfull to keep and defend you/& by whom ye shal be defended/ and all evil& harms by the mean of his good dedys shall be destroyed& him that most hardly shall put him forth for to destroy your enemies for such ought be chosen king& none other. And when his people had herde the reasons above said and known his grete discretion wit& under standing they were greatly a marveled& answered to him thus. We haue herde& understand the grete reasons& haue received& receive thy good counsel& therfore we will& beseech the that thou reign& haue the lordship vpon us during thy life/ we hope that there is none that hath so well deserved to be our king And thus they choose him to their king& to their lord& crwoned him& gave him their blessings& prayed to god that he wolde bless& maintain him. To whom he said. I haue herde the prayer that ye haue made for me beseeching to god that he will stedefaste the love of me in your hearts and corages/& that by noo maner of delectation he suffer me to do thing against your proufytes ne to my dysworshyp. And sone after he sent lettres to all the princes and good towns of his realm. And when he had sent lettres one Dayre king of pierce and of meed sent to Alexandre for tribute like as he had of his father. And he sent him word that the hen that leyd that egg is dead. And after this Alexander made grete conquests& when he had conquered ynde he went to a country called bragman/ the which when they wist of his coming they sent many wysemen to him which salued him and said. sir Alexander thou hast no cause to werre vpon us ne to be evil willing for we ben both poor and meek and we haue noo thing but onely sapience/ the which yf thou wilt haue pray to god that he will give her to the. For by battle thou shalt not haue her. And when Alxeander herde them say so he made all his Oost to tarry and with few of his knights went within the said country for to inquire further of the trouth. And when he entred within the same ground he found many poor folkes women& children all naked gaderynge herbs in the fields& he asked of them many questions to which they answered right wisely and than he bad them axe him some thing that might do them good and to all their people& he wolde give it them gladly. And than they said sir we axe the none other thing but that thou wilt give us euerlaynge fe. Tyhan Allexander answered& said how might a man make other mennes lives everlasting when he may not length his own life an hour/& that ye axe of me is in no mannes power that liveth. Than they said to him sith thou hast good knowledge therof/ wherefore trauaylest thou thyself to destroy all the world/ and to gather all the worldly tresours and wottest not when thou must leave thē. Than Alexander said to them I do not all these things that ye say of myself/ but god hath sent me thorught all the world for to exalt& magnify his lawe and to destroy them that believe not in him. And sometime Alexander went dysguysed vysytynge his lords& enquyrynge of their dedys. And vpon a time he came in to a town of his own/& saw two men of the same town before a Iuge pletynge of the which one said to the Iuge. sir Iuge I haue bought an house of this man/ and long after I haue found within the same a treasure within thearth which is not mȳ/& I haue offered to deliver it to him/& he hath refused it/ wherefore sir I beseech thee that he be compelled to take it/ for as much as he knoweth it is not mine for I haue no right thereto. Than the Iuge commanded his adverse party to answer to the same& than he said/ sir Iuge that same treasure was never mine/ but he hath edified in that place that was before common to all them that wolde haue edified therein/ and therfore I haue no right to take it/& than they both required the Iuge that he wolde take it to himself to whom he answered& said/ hearken it is so as ye say that ye haue no right to whom the heritage hath longed& yet longeth where the treasure was found how should I haue ony right thereto that am but a stranger in the case & never afore herde speak therof/ ye wolde excuse you therof& give me the charge of the treasure that is evil do. Than he asked of him that had found the treasure whether he had ony children which answered he had a sone/& he asked that other in like wise/& he said he had a daughter/ than the Iuge said& judged that a marriage should be made between them& that they should haue the treasure by that mean. And when Alexander herde this judgment he had grete marvel therof And said thus to the Iuge. I trow that there is not in all the world so right wise ne so true a Iuge as thou arte& the Iuge that knew him not said& asked of him whether ony Iuge will haue done other wise ye certainly said Alexander in many lands/ than the Iuge having grete marvel therof asked of him whether it rained& the son did shine in tho lands as though he wolde haue said/ that it was marvel that god should send ony light or rain or other good things to thē that do not rygt& true justice/ and therof Alexander had greater marvel than before and said that there were but few such people vpon earth as they were in that land. And as alexander went out of the land he passed through a city in which all the houses of that city were of one height and before the door of every house was a grete pity or grave in which city there was no Iuge/ whereof he had grete maruayll& asked of the inhabitants therein wherefore such things should serve the which answered him a said. first for the outrageous height of houses love& justice can not be long in a town among the people& they said that the pytes or graues were their own houses to which they should sone go to& there dwell until the day of judgment/& as touching that they had no Iuge they said that they made good justice of themself wherefore they needed no Iuge. Than Alexander departed from thē right well pleased/ and afore his death he wrote a letter unto his moder desiring her to make no sorrow for him and soon after Alexander dyed and was put in a coffre of gold/ and buried in alysandre& he was born thither with grete reverence by kings princes and other great lords that kept and sulfylled his testament as he had ordained. Than start up one of the greatest lords of them that kept him& said thus/ they that never wept for other kings now ought to weep for this same& tho that never had marvel of adversity should now haue graete marvel of the death of this king/ and he desired the other lords that they should say some good thing for to conforte the people that was greatly dismayed and troubled for the death of king Alexander as for the death of the worthiest king that ever was. Than one of them said king Alexander was wont to kept gold and silver/ and now gold& silver keep him. And he said it because of the chest that his body lay in which was of gold. And another said Alexander is departed from sins and fylthes and now his soul is with the good souls which ben puryfyed. And another said Alexander was unto to chastise all men/ and now he is chastysed. And another said the kings were wont to dread him. And now the most poorest man of all the world dreadeth him not. And than another said/ yesterday all the earth sufficed not to Alexander/ and now the length of his body sufficeth him. And another said Alexander might here yesterday and noo body durst speak against his will& now every man may speak and he heareth not. And another said the more that the state of king Alexander was greater& more excellent the more is thoccasyon of his death grievous& pytefull. Another said tho that saw not yesterday Alexander feared him greatly& now tho that se him fear him not. Another said Alexander was he whose enemies durst not come nere hȳ/& now his friends dispraise& will not se him. And when alexander began to reign he was but .viij. year of age/ and he reigned xvii. year of the which he employed .ix. yeres in battle& in conquerynge and .viii. year he restyd hȳ visytynge the grounds& lands that he had conquered/& he had victory vpon .xxiii. mane of languages/& in two yeres he sought all thoryent& occydent,& the nombre of his knights were commynly of his retenew/& at his wages. CCC.xiii. thousand without yomanrye and other men necessary to his warres. And he died in the age of .xxxv. yeres& he was of sangweyn colour his face full of pockys. One of his eyen graye& that other black/ small& sharp teth/ visage like a lion/& was of grete strength& loved much warres fro his child hood unto his lives end. And he commanded that the people should worship god& keep them from sin.  
¶ And said the world is not sustained but commonly by science.& the realms be not directed but by the same/& all things be governed by reason.¶ And said sapience is messagyer of reason. And it befell that Alexander passed through a town wherein .viii. kings had reigned afore/& he asked yf ony of their kindred was alive& they of the twone said ye/ a sone of one of the said kings/& Alexander desired to se him/ and the people said to Alexander that he was ever in the chyrcheyerde. And Alexander went to se him/& asked of him wherefore he abode so in the thyrcheyerde& why he wolde not take vpon him such estate as his father had& his auncestres as other men do seeing that it was the will of all the people. And the young child answered& said. O right bounteuous king I haue here a thing to do the which when I haue done it I shal do thy commandment to whom than Alexander asked what thing it was that he had to do there. And he answered I am sechynge the bones of my father& mine auncestres kings for to put them a part fro the other but I finde them all so semblable that I can not know one from the other. Than said Alexander to him Thou oughtest to acquire worship in this world/& yf thou hadst good& strong courage thou mightest haue all thy faders good& of thy predecessors& all their honours. To whom the young child answered and said I haue good heart. And alexander asked him wherein/& he said because that I haue found life with out death youth without age/ riches without poverty joy without trouble and health without sickness. certainly said Alexander of all these things haue I none. Than said the child yf ye will haue them axe them of him that hath them& he may give thē& none other. Than alexander said that he had never seen man of so grete discretion. Alexander used every day to be in a certain place for to here the complaints of every body. And it was so that vpon a day onely that there came none to complane unto hȳ and therfore he wolde not that day should be put in the nombre of the dayes of his reign& when he was redy to fight with king dayre it was told him that the same Dayre had with him more than. CCC. thousand good fighting men. whereto he answered& said a good cook ought never to be abashed to se in his kitchen many sheep among other bestes/& the patryarkes& prelates that were for that time came& said to him god hath given to the lordship vpon many realms regions& countres to thentente that thou wouldest haue many children begotten of thy body for to haue the succession of the same after thy death& therfore it were good that thou wouldest haue many wives.  
To whom he answered that it should torn him to great shane that had overcome all the myghtyest men of the world for to be discomfited by women. There came to him a poor man well and wisely speaking which was poorly arrayed. To whom Alexander said I haue marvel that thy clothing is not after thy speech for there is between them grete difference. Than the poor man said. O mighty king I may of myself learn to speak& to haue reason with me/ and ye may reasonably cloth me. Than Alexander made him to be clothed with one of his best gowns.¶ Also there passed a thief before Alexander that was going to be hanged which said. O worthy king save my life for I repent me sore of my misdeeds. Than Alexander commanded that he should be hanged while he had good repentance.¶ Also vpon a time one asked of him .x. pyeces of gold. To whom Alexander said/ thou art not worthy to haue so much/ and he said to him again. sir yf I am not worthy to haue so much yet are ye able to give it me. And Alexander asked of arystotell what thing a good and a manly king ought continually to do. And he answered that he ought to think every night to the good governance of his people and the day following to put it in effect.  
And it was asked of him what thing is most delectable in conquerynge of lands and of countries/ and he said the most delectation was to give largely and recompense them that haue done good service to him.¶ And he asked of Arystotell by what meaae hy should be counseled and he answered and said/ ordain vpon the government of thy household him that haht many servants and subjects and can well rule and govern them/ and make procurour& receyuour of thy money that hath grete lyuelode and spendeth dyscretely and notably.¶ And a patryarke asked of him what he wolde do with so many men as he had. And he answered I that am lord of them that ben great and mighty lords may well forbear to be lord of their servants. And there came two men before him dyfferent of opinions to whom he said. The sentence that shall please that one shall displease that other/ and therfore consent ye to the trouth and that shall please you both. And it was asked of him why he worshipped more his master than his father and he answered for as much as I haue of my master everlasting life/ and I haue of my father life but for a certaȳ time. And when dayres daughters were taken it was told hȳ that they were right fair& therfore he wolde not se them ferynge to haue done ony dishonest things saying that great dyshonour were unto him that had overcome so many notable& manly men in the bataylles yf he should be overcome by women being in his prysons. And it byfelle that one made a long sermon before hȳ which noyed much to Alexander wherefore he said the predicacyon is not to be lauded that endureth over the power herkeners/ but that is good that endureth after the possybilyte of them that heareth it. And it was asked of hȳ how men might acquire the love of other men. and he answered in doing them good or elles at lest in doing thē none harm.¶ And said men sometime throve better by their enemies than by their friends. And it was asked of him how he might be so mighty considering that he was so young of age/& he said for as much as I haue travailed to acquire friends and given to mine enemies& by this maner I haue power vpon them all.¶ And said it is a grete loss to a man to lose his friends& more than to lese his sone or his treasure¶ And said the friends that be acquired by good dedys ben better than tho that ben acquired by force/& vpon a time as Alexander went to sport him rejoicingly certain men being at a window keste water vpon him brenning that he had ben one of their fellows/& when they saw that it was Alexander they were greatly afeard/& Alexander bad them be not afred saying that they had wet none but him that they thought to wete. And as arystotell taught many kings sones with Alexander he asked ones of one of them what shalt thou give me when thou shalt be a king the which said I shall make the my grete governor& in like wise he asked of an other/ which said I shall give to the half my realm.& than he asked of Alexander/ which answered him thus master inquire of me no this day vpon that that I haue to do to morrow for when I shall fe that I never saw I shal think that I never thought but yf I reign as thou sayest than I shall do as thou shalt se& think to be covenable/& than Arystotell said to him/ certainly I wot well that thou shalt be a graete& a mighty king for thy face& thy nature sheweth it so. Alexander said to one that long had ben his lyeutenaunt& had never rebuked him of no vice I am nothing pleased with thy service. Why sir said his lyeutenaunt. because said alexander that I am a man as another& err& haue erred many a time sith thou came in my service and thou sawest never no fault in me/ therfore thou art not such as I ought to haue to be my lieutenant for thou art not wise yf thou hast seen& known my faults& not correct me therof thou art not true to me. And he said reason letteth not to acquire science but sloth disprayseth it. And some asked of a wiseman called nychomake what was the cause that men obeied so lightly to Alexander. And he said because that he was virtuous/ that he had well kept justice/& had ben of good conversation and of right excellent government. And there were two men which asked euerych of them to haue to his wife the daughter of a rich man of which two one was rich& the other poor/& the father gave the daughter to the poor man/ wherefore alexander asked of him why he did so and he said by cause the rich is ignorant& like to become a poor man/& the poor is wise& able to become a rich man Alexander asked of a wise philosopher by what mean the realm were well directed and holded in good estate/& he answered by obeisance of the people and the justice of the king. And as alexander fought ones in battle many women came in the same battle against him than he withdrew him hastily& said to his men yf he should haue victory of this battle where these women ben it were no worship to us/ and yf they had the victory than it were to us a {per}petuall shane wherefore we shall not fight against them while the women ben there.¶ And said it is a perilous thing a man to abide so long in the see that the storm& tempest come vpon him the may well depart during the fair weather In like wise it is of them that dwell in princes& kings houses.¶ And said it is a foul thing to a man to haue grete words without effect& it is a fair thing to him that put his works before his words.¶ And said the greatest& most laudable liberty that is to a man is to keep him fro covetise. And when his father commanded him that he should gladly here the commandments of his master. 
Tholome  He said he wolde not onely here them but he wolde fulfil them with glad heart to his power.¶ And said it is worse a man to haue default of discretion than of rychesses.   

Tholom was a right wiseman& well understanden& in especial in four sciences that is to wit geometry/ music arysmetryke/& astrologye/ and he made many good books among the which one is called Almageste the which is of astrologye/& he was born in Alexandrye the greatest city that is in the land of egypt/& there he made his consyderacyons in the time of king Adrian and made his diccyons vpon the consyderacyons at Roodes he was not king albeit that many personnes call him king. And he lived .lxxviij. year.¶ And said he is wise that dysposeth his tongue to speak of god/& he that knowketh him not is the most fool of all.¶ And said he that is inclined to his will is nigh to the Ire of god/& the nearer that a man approacheth the death the more he ought to labour and trauayll to do well.¶ And said sapience abideth no longer in the heart of a fool than a fleynge thing that may not tarry in noo place.¶ And said good wit and good discretion ben fellows.  
¶ And said a man of good sapience can not die/ ne a man of good understanding can never be poor.  
¶ And said sapience is a three that waxeth green in the heart& fructifyeth in the tongue.¶ And said beware that thou dispute not with him that hath no knowledge ne give not thy counsel but to him that asketh it/ ne tell not thy secret but to him that can keep it.¶ And said he that will live well ought not to keep in his heart all his adversities.¶ And said the master of a great house hath many melancolyes.¶ And said speak wisely as well for thyself as for all other.  
¶ And said yf thou mayst not eschew sometime to be wrath at lest let not thy wrath last long.¶ And said the ●ertes of good people bē the castles and for teresses of secrets.¶ And said a man that is not to be corrected by other men may surely correct them of their faults.¶ And said he that asked counseyl of the wise man and doth there after whether it turneth him to good or to evil he ought not to be blamed therof.  
¶ And said it is better a king to direct his people than to haue grete habondaunce of knights.¶ And said surety putteth a way sorrow& fear empescheth gladness.¶ And said the words of god auaylen not to them that haue put all their heart to the world.  
¶ And said it is to grete folly a man to think much on the thing that passeth his understanding.¶ And said men ben of .ii. natures some will never be content howbeit that they finde enough/& some other seek& finde nothing.¶ And said men cause to acquere& gete money and money is the cause to acquere men.  
¶ And said he of the which the science exceedeth his wit may be likened to a feeble shepherd that hath agrete heepe of sheep in his keeping.¶ And said he that hath put all his intent to his fleshly delytes is more bound than a keytyf.¶ And said the higher that a man is exalted in his lordship the more grievous it shall be to him to fall fro the same.¶ And said thought is the key of certaynete.¶ And said the refuses of a niggard ben better than the largesses of a prodygall waster.¶ And said thou canst do nothing so acceptable to god as to do well to hȳ that hath offensed against the.¶ And said yf thou will be wise be not in fellowship with foolys/ but be ever in fellowship with them that ben wiser than thyself.¶ And said the soul can not be deceived unto the time that the body taketh his end. And said folly is the greatest enemy that ony body may haue.¶ And said good will is the fundament of all good works& good works is the messagyer in the other world¶ And said he that keepeth the good opinion& leaveth the evil giveth grete rest to his heart.¶ And said sickness is the prison of the body& salvation of the soul.   


Assaron  ASsaron said that a king in his kingdom may be dommaged& hurted& specially by five things/ the first is by to grete dryness/ as to be .iii. year without rain/ the second is by expendynge more than his lyuelode cometh to/ the thyrde is to use to much women wine& hunting the fourthe is to be of evil manners& of wicked conditions& also to be to cruel& vengeable/ the fift is to haue many enemies.¶ And said the most notable manners and conditions& the most profitable is to be liberal& true of his word.¶ And said he that is liberal may not live amiss. the true speaker may not be shamed of his speaking/ the meek& lowly man can not he hated/ the sober man can not be seek/& he that well& diligently understandeth to his business may never repent therof/& bringeth him to good perfection.¶ And said/ a king or a prince ought not to trust them that dispreyse him ne in him that is covetous in him that is come from grete poverty to grete rychesses in him from the which he hath taken the goods& lordships in him that hath suffered mamy damages& hurts for the royal majesty& ordinance/ ne in him that hath made ony alliance& promise with his enemies and he ought to be well ware that he give no power to none such as tho above said.¶ And said it is an impossible thing that the man may keep him from falling in some fault that is exalted with a king in graete magnificence without desert.¶ And said when a wise prince knoweth that ony of his men hath offensed against him he ought hastily to inquire the trouth of the dede/ and the quantity of his trespass/ and yf it be done wilfully or by ignorance/ and also yf he was wont to do so/ and yf he be like to fall therein again/ and vpon every of the same poyntes to remedy hastily.  
¶ And said the kings servants ought to show in serving him their good virtues their faith the noblesse of their kindred to thentente that the king may better know them and do to every of them as he shall haue deserved.¶ And said yf a king loveth and cheryssheth the vntrewe and wicked men as them that ben good and true he ought not to be called king for he is not like to reign long.¶ And said yf the kings counseyllours his physycyen and his confessor deleth with other things than longeth to their offices the king shall continually be endommaged/ seek of body and of the soul/ and like to come to a foul end.¶ And said he that saith truth to his leech/ and he that counceylleth with his friend and telleth him not the trouth of his counsel/ he destruyeth himself.¶ And Assaron said a king should not commit to an other the business that is necessary to himself for to do.¶ And Assaron said the most secerte counsel of the king is his conscience and his good dedys is his best treasure And of all men the trewest is the best and the best rychesses ben they that be truly& duly gotten.¶ And said a king should commit his besynesses to him that he hath proved in faith in wit& in good governance and yf he may finde noo such take him that hath ever be conversant with wise men.¶ And said a wise king of good understanding amendeth and availeth much his counseyllours.¶ And said when a king of good discretion hath to do two right hasty things he should begin at the noblest and at the most profitable. And yf they ben both two of estate begin at that which may best be recouerde in time coming.¶ And he said yf a king be merciful his business shall go well his wisdom shall avail him in time coming yf he be true his people shall rejoice with him& yf he be just his divine shall endure.¶ And he said kings should gete good renomme and other men dygnytes by good measure for outrageousnes is not enduring.¶ And he said it belongeth to conquerous kings to set& keep good justice in their realms& other lorshyppes gotten and howbeit that it is a grievous thing to conquere them yet it is a more grievous& more chargeable thing to keep them well.¶ And he said he that is most complete of wit is he that knoweth himself and that departed him not from the obeisance of good for what maner occasion that cometh to him& that continually thanketh him for the goods that he hath sent him.¶ And said that an evil law and the love of a shrew lasteth noo longer than the shadow of a cloud.¶ And assaron said that a wiseman enforceth him to fle and withdraw from harm.  
& the fool doth grete pain to finde it.¶ And assarō said when a wiseman that is counseylour or office to a king seeth that the king will do or say ony thing domageable& harmful to him or to his realm or to his people& subgectes he should address it to remembre him of good examples of chronicles& hystyres of his noble& wise predecessors {con}cernynge unto that purpose in so much that the king conceive& haue knowledge that he saith it for his well and worship.   


Legmon  LEgmon was born in Ethyope& learned his science in the land of Asteyn in the time of king david the prophet/& was bought bya Iewe for an esclaue or bondman for .xxx. marcke& his maystres master played gladly at dice/& there ran before his maystres gate a river/& on a time as his master and an other man played at dice/ they laid& set an owche to pledge that who of them lost a game should do the will of the wynner or he should drink all the water that ran& passed afore his gate/ so it happened that his master lost& that other commanded him that he should do holy his commandment& the loser answered that he was redy to be at his judgment. Than he said to him/ thou shalt give me all the good that thou hast of ony value or thou shalt drink all the water of this river. And he that hath lost demanded onely respite of one day for tauyse him/ that other granted it to him& thus he abode in his house right pensefe and full of taught how he might escape fro this peril/& as he was in this thought legmon his boundeman& servant came home& brought vpon his neck a butchen of wood& salued his master the which gave hȳ no answer for the thought that he was in/ how be it he was accustomed for to raysone him for the good words that he found in him/& than legmon said to him master who hath angered or grieved thee and he answered nothing again/& legmon said master tell me the cause of this sorrow& wo/ for I shall lightly remedy it yf I may. And than his master rehearsed to him all the feat as is said afore. And than legmon said to him that he should in no wise abasshe hȳ for he wolde give him good counsel. Thou shalt demand him said he yf thou shalt drink that the river containeth now this present time/ or elles all that the shall renne& come continually/& I wote well he shall say that thou shall drink all that it containeth now& when he hath so said thou shalt say to him that he stop and make the river to stand without running ony more& that thou arte redy to drink it that it holdeth now& thus thou shalt win thy cause when the master herde the counsel of his boundman he was much recomforted& in like wise on the morn he said to him that had won the owche& in this wise he escaped from the peril. And fro than forthon he a franchysed legmon& made him fre that afore was bound& thrall& he dyde give him much good/ and was reputed for right a wise man. And one of his fellows of time past met him on a time& demanded of him arte thou not he that were wont to keep sheep with me/& he answered yes/ how said that other who hath set thee in this estate. I shall tell the said legmon saying of trouth to be true& not tentend vpon unprofitable things. And it was said a voice appeared to him which said to him. wilt thou be a grete lord vpon the earth/& he answered yf god will I will obey him but yf he will me give the choice& my pleasure. I will peas. One asked hȳ wherefore he wolde not be a king/ he answered yf I Iuge rightfully I may not eschew the hate of many men/& yf I dissimyle I shall withdraw me fro the way of paradise I had lever haue in this world suffysaunce with poverty& win the bliss of that other world than for to lose to be high raised in this world. And david was in a place where much people spake a monge whom legmon was still and he demanded him wherefore speakest not thou as other do. He answered because there is no word good but of god nor no good silence but to think on god.¶ And this Iewe that was master of legmon gave him much good that which he distributed in almesse/& lent it to poor needy people without vsure/& therfore god multiplied his goods greatly. And it is said he left all his rychesses and made himself a recluse in a temple solytayrely unto his death/ and there prechyd many fair things& wysedomes to his sone.¶ And said sone take abstinence& restrain thy will for yf thou praise the world and the diverse adventures that daily comen in doyenge offences in things defended of god thou desirest but death/ therfore enforce the to eschew the evil will& to follow the good/ for the good mortefyeth and destroyeth the evil.¶ And said sone speak ever of god/ and god shall put ever good words in thy mouth Sone set alway thyn own works tofore thyn eyen and the other mennes behind the apart Sone when thou seest ony sinner reprove him not of his faults but think on thyn own of which thou shalt give acompte. Sone employ not thy courage in the love of this world which is a thing that passeth& deceiveth all them that affye in it& hold the content with little/ and covet not the goods of other. Sone set attemperaunce in thy living/& be replenysshyd with sapience and converse with wise men/ and so mayst thou gete wisdom. Sone be simple well doing thinking much and few words but yf they be true and be no grete laugher and be no dispreyser ne mocquer of other/ be still& not full of language for I haue often repented me of much speaking thnn of being still. Sone beware that the cock be not erlyer awaked in the morning than thou. And dread god& keep the from vaynglorye. Sone beware that thou be not defrauded for to believe that thou hast in that thing which thou hast not thought that men bear the it on hand by flaterye. Sone who loveth god best dreadeth him most. Sone learn goodness& after teach it forth to other/ for doctors& teachers with their techynges ben likened unto spryngynge wells running/ of which the people ben continually served and yet they abide aldaye full. And know thou sone that yf a fool speak/ he shall be mocqued for his vncurtoyse speech/ and yf he be still and speak not he shall think some evil/ and yf he do ony thing it is evil& loseth his time/ yf he set him to study he shal lese his dyspense and shal not profit yf of adventure he be rich he shall be proud and presumptuous yf he be poor he shall fall in despair/ yf ge haue ony good garment he will be proud therof yf he demand ony thing he shall axe it curtoysly/ and yf ony man axe of him to borrow he shall deny it/ yf he give ought he shall reproach him/ yf a man give to him he shall con him no thank when he is merry or Ioyons it is out of measure/& when he is angry he is like wise yf men tell him ony secret he shall dyscouere it/ yf he haue puissance or might he shall secretly seek occasion to do evil& shall treat his subgectes by violence yf men fellowship with him he shall make him angry yf men follow him he fleeth the people. Who so will correcto him he will not do for him but shal hate his corrector& his felows shal hate him/ yf he speak he will be herde& yf other men speak he will not here them yf men pray him to pardon another he shall not do it he loveth better deceit than trouth. A man may not put him from his opinion for ever he will haue his by himself& who so doth evil he reputeth it for well done yf he study or speak with wise men he will not meek himself nor take hede to them& yf he be with a more fool than he is himself he shall defame& mock him he shall command thē to do well& he will do the worst he can& he shall command them to say trouth& he shall lie his dedys shall be much discordaunt to his words/ for yf his tongue saith one his heart thynketh another/ yf thou be rich he saith thou arte an usurer yf thou be poor he shall se● nought by the yf thou do well he saith thou dost it by ypocrysy/ yf thou do evil he will defame the/ yf thou give to him he will call the waster yf thou give nought he shall hold thee for a keytyf& niggard/ yf thou be de bonayr he shall say thou art a beste/& who so draweth him fro his company he saith he doth it for pride.¶ But the wiseman is all of other contrary conditions/ for he hath contenaunce justice business forgiveness& meekness he can well speak& be still in place& time he knoweth& doth well he hath his servants in his puissance& power he is liberal to demaunders he is wise in speaking& well understanding the words of other yf he learn he shall mean good questions yf men do him good he shall thank them who telleth him his counsel he shall keep it secret& he shall trust well in other yf he give he giveth gladly without reproach he well do to none other man but as he would be done to yf he be rich he shall not be proud therof yf he be poor or rich he shall not forget god/ he shall alway profit in science he giveth credence to him that teacheth him he shall not grudge to a greater than he is nor dispraise a less he shall ask nothing but yf he haue right thereto he is agreeable in his answers& saith nothing but yf he know it well he hideth not his science: the more he accompanieth the men, the more he loveth them he constraineth his will to trouth whether it will or not he correcteth himself giving ensample to other he is lightly turned to do well yf he bear witness it shall be veritable/ yf he be a Iuge he shall Iuge and do all thing truly yf men do him harm he should do good therfore he coveteth not the gods of other men he reputeth himself as a stranger in this world and thinketh not but on his departing he doth well& commandeth other to do the same he defendeth evil& keepeth himself fro doing it and that lieth in his heart the tongue pronouncheth and his dedys ben according to his words.¶ Sone understand wisdom& exercyce the same without thinking on other things for when thou hast gotten it thou shalt be ever in joy& know that it is not gotten but by debonaryte& by good keeping of the tongue for the tongue is the door of the almerye of sapience wherein every man may well entre/ yf it be not shut/ and therfore men should keep well the key/ that is to say the tongue more besili than his gold or silver.¶ Sone lose not thȳ own things for keeping of strange things for thy proper things ben thy goods which thy soul shall bear with him. And the rychesses that shall abide after thy death shall come to other men. Sone honour wisdom and deny it not to them that desire it& show it not to them that despayse it. Sone who that hath mercy on other shall haue mercy on himself. Sone be thou content with that thou hast without coueytynge of the goods of other/ or of that which thou knowest thou mayst not haue. Sone receive patiently the words of correction and of prechynge though they be hard& grievous.¶ And he said right unhappy is he that heareth& understandeth not/& yet he is more unhappy that heareth& understandeth and no thing profiteth to him. Sone accompany the with them that god loveth. Sone yield thankynges to our lord god of the goods that he hath made the to receive in humility& depart thē to those that be needy. Sone yf thou haue done ony good that the seemeth good/ give no laud ne presynge to thyself therof. For thou wottest not yf god be pleased with all or not. In every work is commonly some thing ever contrary an the adversary of the work is proud hye thought. Sone covet not the delytes of this world but onely them that may make the nigh to god. Sone trust thou verily in god and love them that obey him and haue them in hate that disobey him. Sone there is no thing more acceptable to god than good understanding and that is in ten conditions. That is to wete in not preysynge himself in well doing in being content of things necessary to the life to give of his goods for goddes sake/ to will worship to himself/ to keep himself from doing shameful things In getting science and cunning all the dayes of his life/ to keep himself from anger. In giving his love to all thē that desire it/ and to repute himself worst and the other better/ for the men ben of two manners/ some bē good and some ben bad/ wherefore a man should humble and meek him to both/ to the good in praying god to make him semblable and like to him/ to the evil for as much as it is not known whether his goodness is in him hid/ and he will not show it by vainglory and in doing these things is a man reputed for sage and wise. Sone worship god and pray hȳ that he will keep thee from having an evil wife/& he will teach& inform her/ for there is none other remedy. Sone show to other such as thou hast learned ne felawshyppe the not with shrews that thou be not one of them/ and haue thou not affyaunce in the house where the people live this day& deye to morrow. Sone enhabyte thyself with the wisemen continually For god enlumyneth their hearts by words of sapience in such wise as the goods under earth ben moysted by rain& with dews. And some men say that Legmon is buried in a twone called Carauall between the mesquyte& the march. And ther ben buried .lxx. prophetes that dyed after Legmon/ the which the children of Israel kept so long in hostage that they dyed for hunger/& when Legmō was night his death he wept sore& his sone asked him why he wept for fear of death or for sorrow that he had to leave the world he answered I weep for none of tho two things but I wep by cause I haue a way for to go from which I saw never man come again/& I bear but little vytayll with me& am charged with many grete charges& I wote never whether I shall be aleged& discharged or no when I shall come to thende of my way& he said to his sone. Sone thou oughtest to dread god& not onely to be worshipped of men. Sone when thou comest in a place where shall be spoken of god abide therefore yf thou be a fooll thou mayst be amended and become wise yf thou be wise thou shalt encrece thy wisdom/& yf god send them ony good thou shalt haue thy parte. But& yf thou haunt places where god is not spoken of all the contrary shall happen to the. Sone be afrede of the vengeance of our lord as much as thou mayest& dread him& consider his right grete puissance& might.¶ And said in like wise as in giving largely a man maketh of his enemy his friend right so by pride a man maketh of his friend his enemy.¶ And said the word sheweth the wisdom of the man and therfore ought a man to be well auysed what he saith¶ And said a true man resteth in his trouth& the reward of a liar is that he be not believed of that he reherceth.¶ And said rehearse ne tell no thing to hȳ that will not believe the ne demand not that thing that thou wottest well shall not be granted to the ne promise no thing but thou mayst and wilt hold& keep.¶ And said thou oughtest above all thing flee the company of a liar/ and yf thou may not eschew his company at lest beware that chou believe no thing that he saith.¶ And said sone set the not in the highest place/ for it is better that thou be taken up from the lowest place for to sit in the highest/ than to be taken from the highest and than be set all bynethe.¶ And said sone ones I command thee that thou dread god above all things for that thing is rightful and profitable to thee and do so that all thy thoughts be alway in him and thy words semblably/ for the speaking and thinking in god surmounteth all other words and thoughts as he himself surmounteth all other creatures and therfore men ought to obey him/ not withstanding ony other thing that they be constrained to. Sone make thy orisons and prayers duly to him. For prayer is a ship that is in the see/ for yf she be good she shall be safe and all that be therein/ and yf she be evil she shall perysse and all they that be therein.¶ And said a man may lightly finde his living and his necessytes in this world/ which is a little during as to us creatures but a man should purneye him of things necessaries for to bear with him when he shall depart hens.  
¶ And said how may a man make another to change his will that can not refrain his own will?  
¶ And said goddes will is one of the goods whereof god is served and gladly to here things louable/ is to him agreeable/ and a courteous answer ought much to be praised. yf thou behoveth to send ony message or legacyon send a wiseman and yf thou mayst none fiend go thyself.¶ And said believe not him that lieth to the of another man for he shall lie in like wise to an other man of the.¶ And said/ it is more light to change montaygnes from one place to another than for to make hȳ understand that hath none entendement.¶ And said do not that of which thou wouldest haue shane to se another do it. Two pacyentes ben in this world of which one is he that seeth& endureth pacientely that he hateth and that other is to refrain his will. There ben three estates of men that ben known but in three manners that is to wete the patient is not known but in his adversity and in his Ire/ the valiant man is not known but in war And the friends be not known but in necessity. Of all other manners and conditions the worst is a man to be suspycyons of his friend and to dyscouer things secret/ to haue trust& affyaunce in every man to speak overmuch of things unprofitable and to be in danger of evil people for covetise of goods temporal.¶ And said the thought is the myrour of the man wherein he may behold his beauty& his filth.¶ And he said beware and keep thee for to be suspecyous for suspeccyon taketh away the love fro the people. wit without doctrine is a three without fruit¶ And said for to be joyous and to salewe every man gladly to be liberal in giving and receiving and to for give gladly his evil will make a man to beloved of each body.   


Anese  ANeyse the philosopher saith. when men wax old their virtues ben dispraised and the rich men ben more ferfull than poor men.¶ And he said the noble death is better than a vile dominacyon.¶ And said the most and greatest ewer or hap of a man is to haue a good fellow/ now than accompany thee with good people and thou shalt be one of them. One of the greatest vylonyes and iniquytes of the world is for to do vylonye unto an impotent person.¶ And said yf thou hast done ony trespass or sin/ repent the anon without abiding unto the morn.¶ And he said thou oughtest to give him thank that doth the good of what condition that he be of so that he do it liberally and in good intent.¶ And said he may not know ne apperceyue many things that can not apperceyue ne know himself.¶ And said/ yf thou wilt haue enduring long with an other put thyself in pain to inform him in good manners.  
¶ And said yf a king be just and rightful he shall seygnorie and be lord over the courage of his people/ yf he be other wise though he be name for king yet will they haue their corages to another.   


Sacdarge  SAcdarge saith that the works of this world ben addressed by two things/ one is by science of which the soul is addressed and that other is besenes of which the soul& the body ben addressed.¶ And said men leave for to do much harm and evil when they doubt and fear our lord.¶ And said/ noblesse of lineage is much covenable to receive science the intention of the man should be for to refrain his courage from filth and foul things/ for the good life maketh the good renommee and causeth a good eude/ he is right excellent which is honourable in all his disports and of whom the wit surmounteth the Ire¶ He said let it suffice to the to be so wise that thou canst do well and keep thee from doing evil. Ther is no thing so evil unto a man as to be evil endoctryned/ and in especial when he is issued of noble and good lineage.¶ And said for to con science it is a much honourable and profitable thing. For by it goods of this world and of that other ben gotten. Awyse man will no thing haue of his prince but that which he hath gotten by saying trouth& by his good works.¶ And said he is a good lord that taketh vpon him pain to keep his subgectes in such wise as he keepeth his own body and that he be not so rigorous and oppressynge that them behoveth to leave his lordship. And that also he be not to them so debonarye that they despise his maundementes.  
¶ And he said the most curteys giver is he that giveth without axynge.¶ And said In what somever place thou be with thyn enemy be it in dysporte or otherwise/ make alway good watch on thyself/ thought so be thou be stronger than he and myghtyer yet labour alway to make peas.¶ And said in like wise as it is grete pain to the body of a man to sustain thing that is impossible to him right so it is a grievous thing to a wiseman for to teach a fool.  
¶ And said a suspecyous man may never haue good life.¶ And said he is right ignorant and unkind that can not give thanking for the goodness that is done to him/ but yet he is more unkind that denieth it to other.¶ And said he that demandeth but reason 
Thesylle  is able to vaynquysse& overcome his enemy.   

THesylle said/ thou oughtest to love better the rude words that bē profitable and true than the sweet words that ben of deceit and flaterynge.  
Some men put venom in sweet drinks& the medecynes that soonest heleth people are bitter and of eull savour.¶ And said/ it is a foul thing to be so curious for the feeding of the body that it hurteth both it and the soul.¶ And said as a shypmā taketh not the see without he seeth that he hath a covenable wind/ no more should a man dispose him to ony maner works without it were covenable for the soul.¶ And said thou oughtest to do that/ that is most profitable for the body and rather rhat/ that is most covenable for thy soul/ and not to do the contrary.¶ And said he that can well counsel another ought to counsel well himself& haue remembrance to the salvation of his soul for it is a great vice to a man to worship and help another and dysworshyppe and hurt himself.¶ And said as it becometh evil a man that hath a foul& unclean body to be clothed with cloth of gold or with cloth of silk/ right so it is a foul thing to haue grete beauty of body and of visage and be full of evil works.¶ And said we ought by reason to keep clenely our bodies we are more specially bound to keep honestly and well that that giveth us knowledge of our lord god that is the wisdom of the soul and not to hurt or overcome it with meets or drinks. And it was asked of him how a man might keep him from Ire. And he answered in remembering that it is impossible that he should alway be obeied but that he must sometime obey and that he shall not alway command but he shall be commanded. And also that god seeth all thing& yf he hath this in consyderacyon he should not long be worth.¶ And he saw a grete fat man to whom he said thou pains the sore to break the walls of thy prison.¶ And said when thou shalt correct neither show it not like him that would venge him of his enemy/ but do as the physycyan that curioysely speaketh to his patient. And when thou shalt correct thyself show the as the hurt man doth to his leech ∴   


saint Gregoyre  saint Gregoyre said recommend to god the beginning and the end of all thy works.¶ And said/ study and trauayll to know all things and retain and hold with the those that ben most profitable.¶ And said poverty is evil but richesse is much worse.¶ And said be thou patient and& haue reason in thy wrath& lygh thyself with sapience in stede of candle/ and presume not to be better than thou art but think thou art deadly/ repute thee for a stranger and thou shalt worship the strangers.¶ And said when thy ship shall be laden with grete transquillyte than thou oughtest fear to be drowned.¶ And said man ought to receive merely all that god sendeth thē¶ And said the hattered of good men is better than the love of evil people.¶ And said frequent and haunt the companies of wisemen and not of the rich.¶ And said dispraise not a little of good things for they may greatly increase and amend.¶ And said endure patiently without taking vengeance.   


Galyen  GAlyen was one of the. viij. leches right excellet in medicine/ which were all .viij. su{per}latyf above all other leches of the which the first was Esculapi{us} the second Gorius. the thyrde Mirius. the fourthe promedines. the .v. Platon the vi. Esculapius the second. the .vii. hippocras. the .viii. Galyen which had none like to him. He was born after the incarnation of our lord. CC. yeres/ and he composed and made well. CCCC. volumes of books among which there ben viii. that ben studied in fuche things as men desire to learn of the art of medicine/ his father was right diligent to put him to the school and spended much good vpon him and sent him in the country of Asye in the city of Pargame Athenes Rome and Alexandrye for to finde the best masters/ and there he learned physic/ geometry/ gramarye/& other sciences/& he learned physic of a woman called cleopatre which taught him many good herbs and profitable to all maner of sickness/& he dwelled long in egypt for to know all these herbs/ and long after he dyed nigh the city of Escam fast by the green see in the marches of egypt/& in his youth he desired greatly to know the science demonstratyue& he was so inclined to learn it that when he departed from the school with other children his mind was ever vpon that that his master had taught hȳ/ whereof his fellows mocked him& asked him why he wolde not play& sport him with them. To whom he said I take as grete pleasance to record my lesson as ye do your plays whereof his said fellows had grete marvel& said that his father was happy to haue such a child/& to put him to the school/ that so well loved wisdom/ his father was a grete labourer/ his grant father was a common master carpenter/& his graunsyrs father was an harper& meter of lands which is the science of geometry. Galyen was at Rome in the reign of king Octauyen which reigned after Adryen& there he made a book of anascomye and many other traytyes. Some say that grete parte of his books were brent/ and among them some of Arystotelles books written with his hand& of Danagoras& of Andromache/& a book that he had made of tryacles for venyms/& thought the king of Grece to break the hills& fill the valeyes& to make plain ways in their countres& edified cities& closed them with big walls/& also to make ryueres renne trugh the twones& in other places where need was& to do al other things that were to the commyne profit. And in those dayes they had more delectation& pleasance to the good rule& governance of their lordship than to the ease and pleasance of their own bodies. And their hearts were much set to haue good vniuersytees and scoles of grete clerkes and specially in physic. And also they ordained in every country and region certain folkes to gather herbs and to bring them to the maystres of physic for to preue them by experience. And the same herbs thus approved were sent to the kings closet& sealed with their seals to thentent that they should not be changed and than the kings ordained them for seek folkes.¶ And the said Galyen said wisdom can not profit to a fool ne wit to him that useth it not.¶ And said heaviness cometh of the things passed& thought of things to come.¶ And Galyen was four score year and vii. when he said that many grete lords be ignorant when they be more inclined to haue fair horses and rich gowns& other jewels than to win good famed by good conditions.¶ And said the physycyens were wont to haue lordship& to govern seek folkes& to cause them to do such things as were most expedient and profitable for their health/ and no seek man durst dysobeye his physycyen but should be compelled to obey him wherefore they were the sooner recovered and hole/& now the leches ben subgectes to the seek folkes/& be compelled to handle them easily and softly& give them sweet drinks though it availeth them but little/& therfore is there the more sickness& longer vnhelth.¶ And said sometime tho that were most sober in their meats and lest drank wine were best byloued and most praised/& now the most glottons/ and tho that oftenest ben drunken are the most set by and the rather set at grete lords boards which giveth evil exampell to other.¶ And said thou mayest well instruct all men save onely those that be without shane.¶ And said/ a man that knoweth well himself hath power enough to correct himself.¶ And said a man may love himself so much that he is deceived thereby for we se many that ween and seem to be good and are contrary.  
¶ And said he is just that may both do right or wrong& yet keep justice. And he is wise& discrete that knoweth that/ that sufficeth to be known& that doth vertuousely to every creature.¶ And said like as a seek man desireth not to depart from his phisycyentyll he hath recovered his health which he could not do by himself/ in like wise a man ought to desire the company of a confessor for the health of his soul.¶ And he saw a man that was greatly made of and cherished with kings for the strength of his body of whom he said dower I shall cause hȳ to repent it at last ∴   


besiege  IT was asked of one called besiege wherefore it was that one of his neighbours made die his here in black he answered because no man should ask to learn sapience of him ∴  
¶ And plures said the more good that a fool hath the more he is fool. And it was asked of one arystan when it was good to lie with a woman he answered at all times when a man will hurt impair& feeble his body. And it was asked of Dimycrates whereby he knew and perceived best his wit/ he answered in that that I think I understand and know but little.¶ And said/ the wiseman that replieth is better than the fool that accordeth to every purpose. And there was a wiseman called azee that was a prysonner to whom his master asked of what benefyce he was/ he answered inquire not of my lineage/ but axe of my prudence and cunning& was asked of a neither called Sygonce also prisoner of one that wolde haue bought him whereto he was good& he answered to be delivered. And an other asked of hȳ yf it were good that he should bye him. To whom he answered I am nothing worth but ye or some other bye me. And another said he dyspreyseth himself that dispreyseth all other and giveth himself laud. And there was one that prayed god to keep him fro the danger of his friends. And it was asked him why he prayed not rather that god should keep him fro his enemies than fro his friends. And he answered for as much as I may well keep me from mȳ enemies in whom I haue no trust/ but I may not keep me from my friend whom that I trust. It was asked of a wiseman which be the most noble worldly things. To whom he answered to love sapience& to hate fooly not to be ashamed to learn.¶ And it was asked of Archasam which be the sciences that children should learn. He answered those that cause them to hate ignorance in their age.¶ And it was asked of another/ why he wolde haue noo silver/& he answered for as much as it come to men by fortune& is kept by nygardshyp& covetise& is often folyshely spent& to evil use. And another said the love of a fool shall be more noysant to the than his hatred& there was a man that said to another I shall put my pain& diligence to destroy the. He answered& I shall enforce me to destroy thy malice& appease thyn Ire. And ther came before a king three wisemen the one was a greek the other a Iewe& the thyrde a sarazyn/ of whom the said king desired that each of them wolde utter some good& notable science. Than the greek said/ I may well correct and amend my thoughts but not my words. Than the Iewe said I haue marvel of them that said things preiudycyall where silence were more profitable. And the sarazyn said I am master over my word or it be pronounced/ but when it is spoken I am servant thereto.¶ And it was asked one of them who might be called a king/& he answered he that is not subgcete to his own will.¶ And assaron said to an evil payer that desired to borrow money of him that he wolde lend him none for he knoweth well that he could not displease him much in refusing the loan as in axynge him his payment again.¶ And said the wisemen speak with good delyberacyon/& the fools speak without auysement.¶ And teofrates said he is of good condition that reporteth and saith good of other folkes and keepeth secret their defaults. And it was asked of discony what things were most nycessary for a man to keep him out of other folkes danger& he answered yf he be rich to live moderately& yf he be poor to labour diligently.¶ And Nicomake said ther is not so good a doctor as discrecyonne so good a preacher as the time& he that correcketh him by other is right diligent& well occupied. And it is better to take example by other than other take it by him. And thymetus said meddle nor undertake not with the governance of a ●oole/ for he can not peyse nor conceive what good thou dost to him/ no more than an horse or other beasts take hede whether they charge hȳ with gold or gravel. And it was asked of Athelam/ why men ben punished for their misdeeds& not for their thoughts he said for their thoughts are reserved onely to god.¶ And Amonys said there be three things that a prince ought to eschew. The first is to much drinking. The second is to much delectation in music/& the thyrde doing of women for the three thing put away all his other good thoughts. And said thought for things lost and evil done/ that can not be amended for getting therof is the medicine.¶ And said trouth is good to be said/& specially when it profiteth every body.¶ And said yf thou can not ateyne to the wisdom of ancient men at the leste study& se their books and some profit thou mayst haue thereby.¶ And quidar{us} said I haue marvel of those that blame so much the foul things vpon other& think them fair vpon himself.¶ Dimycrates said patience is a castle imprenable and worship is the fruit of trouth& repentance is the fruit of hast. And it was asked of dythomages/ why the rich men ben more proud than wisemen/& he said the wisemen known and dread our lord& understand what offence pride is unto him but the rich man taketh none hede thereto. And some asked him which was better to haue sapience or richesse/& he said ther is noo good richesse but it be answell profitable in the other world as in this/ but sapience is good for either world.¶ It was told Arystotelles that a man had said good of him and he said. I shall recompense it. They asked him in what maner& he said I will say of him in like wise.¶ And doctiphon said a mannes wit can not atteyn to do things above his understanding but under he may execute like as ye may put no more wine in a pipe than it containeth but less ye may.¶ And Orycas said a man of good understanding may well eschew grete quantity of the infortunes of this world/ like as the good shypman knoweth by experience the weather like to be in the see.¶ Samaron said I haue lost all that I had& therfore I fear no thing.¶ And said in all thy enterprises haue more trust in the science than in the strength.¶ Gregorius said the peyntours may well make pyctures semblable to things but the proper thing none can make but onely god& nature. And the king Armesis calling to him his brethren said to them yf ye will repent and take me but onely as your brother I will show you that I am your king but and ye take me for your king I show you that ye are my bretheren.¶ And Tales milostius said I haue grete marvel of them that for worldly goods put them daily in peril of death by land& by water as well by feyte of merchandise as other wise not knowing who shall succeed or depart their goods after their death& might with less danger and pain learn sapience by the which their good name and famed should be more lauded and praised as it is said in a common proverb. He is not dede whose renown and famed lasteth.¶ And pythagoras said/ science hath none enemies/ but ignorance men.¶ And said claterynge of folyes is despleasure to wise men like as the stench of a kareyne is to them that smell it/ for the fool knoweth no more the fault of his own speech than the karyen doth of his stench. And it was asked of another howe men might keep them fro much drinking. And he answered in beholding well the grete inconuenyentes that be fall the drunken men.  
¶ And Eugene said many persons having reason& understanding axe candle& light for to eat their meet/ but few persons there be that kyndell and sharp their wits in getting sciences for the proufyte of their souls.¶ And Esicō sayddeth is displeasaunt to all persons safe to the wisemen/ for sapience is the thing the most letteth the fear of death.¶ And Adryan said yf I should not love sapience/ but because she dyspreyseth death yet should I love her.¶ And Hermes said the grete profit that I haue found in sapience is that I haue composed& knit all my thoughts in one.¶ And Quirianus said a man may not be with out thoughts he ought to remember things perpetual.¶ And said some think it good that every body were of like condition/ but think ye the contrary for than every man wolde command and none obey.¶ And demapates said when thou comest in to a strange country hearken diligently after the language& reason of the people. And yf thou finde thyself as wise or wiser than they endoctryne them/ and elles pain thyself to learn of their lore rather than to busy the in other idle& vain occupations.¶ A philozopher which was disciple of pythagoras said/ he ought not to be called manly/ that will strike him that can not defend himself.¶ And Sylde said in all things the mean is best& to live warily is a grete treasure& to live wastefully causeth poverty and yet it is impossible to please all men there with.¶ And said be not worth with him that saith trouth haue patience and good shall come to the therfore.¶ And said the wicked lords resemble to the drunken men that in their drunkship hate all fair& good virtues& loven all vices& fylthes but when his drunkship is passed he is ashamed of his dedys.¶ And said a king of good wit& discretion ought to be well content& pleased when men offer him their service& ought in his peas and prosperity to worship and cherish his knights& men of war& to pay them well their wages all be it he ween to haue none enemy for he can not be sure how soon he shall haue need of his servants. And Melious said he is not rich to whom the richesse lasten but little/ ne fro whom they may be lightly taken/ but the laudable rychesses ben those that durem perpetuelly.¶ And Brakalyke said the covetous man hath noo rest And the niggard may never be rich.¶ And Phelyp king of macedon said to those the counseylled him to bren the city of Athenes when he had won it we should than seem men dyscomfyt/ where we haue overcome our enemies.¶ And Archydes said the tongue may not well make lesynges without thassent of the heart& therfore it is convenient that the tongue& the heart be of one opinion.¶ And said make no desire to god for that that thou mayst well haue/ which is suffysaunce/ but pray& require him that that thou hast may suffice the.¶ pythagoras said he that believeth not the resurreccyon of man is like a doom beest that falleth for feebleness.¶ And said a man ought to do his works by delyberacyon& by grete provision& not suddenly.¶ And said yf thou will exceed thyn enemy call him no fool nor tale tellar nor obey none of his vices for thy blaming were to him a great laud.¶ And said he that would be lauded of his works ought to haue a true friend to report them. And said keep thy friend above all things& think what loss thou shalt haue yf thou lack a true friend yf thy house falleth down thou shalt not lese thereby but the departing of the stones& the tymbre/ but yf thou lese thy friend thou mayst gete thereby many enemies.  
¶ And said when a man is in grete Ire& wrath he may be likened to an house taken with fire in which for the quantity of the smoke& of the noise of the fire/ ther may no man se ne here therein/ and may also be likened to a ship in an outrageous tempest in the see which will not be well conduyted nor stered for the ferventnes of the same tempest/ and so when a mannes blood& courage is stirred with wrath and Ire ther may no persuasyons nor holsom counsel avail nor steer him to his profit/ and is so cursed that a little spark of it maketh lightly a great fire yet wrath is many a time pacefyed by silence/ as the fire quencheth when the brondes be taken away. Also a dronken man can not perceive his drunkship/ till he be sober/& after when he seeth another drunk he knoweth thereby in what case he was in/ also the angered man returneth by his patience and seeth another angry may well perceive his own defaults.¶ And said we se commonly women sooner angry than men/ the seek men rather than the hole the old men lyghtlyer than the young/ wherefore it is to be thought that wrath cometh of feebleness of courage. And a master rebuked his clerk saying/ hold thypeas boundeman sone/& he answered I am not the less worth for my kin but thou arte the wors for thy conditions.¶ And said a wiseman ought to say that that is convenient and some time to here that that is not to be said.¶ And said ther is no thing that grieveth so much thy trende as to show hȳ that thou hast him suspect.¶ And said company/& deal so with the people that they wish after thy presence when thou arte absent and that they lament& bewail thy death. A man wept when his sone was born/& it was asked of him why he wept& ought rather to be ioyeful/& he answered I weep for my sone that goth now to ward his death. And it was asked of him what maner people be lest behated/ and he answered to that may neither help nor hurt& that doth neither good nor harm for the evil people hate the good& the good hate the evil.¶ And said custom is harder to break than nature.¶ And said there ben .ij. maner of abstinence/ one is with good will/& the other by force which is not good.¶ And another said speak but profitable things nor eat no more than for thy sustenance and seek to haue no thing but that is possible to be had ne complain thee not of thy frenddes take not vnhope of that that thou mayst not amend. ask nothing of the covetous man teach that thou can give that thou hast haue patience in thyn adversities. do to be written in thy seal or in thy sygnet both good people& bad shal end and behold that sentence often.¶ And said short remembrance and hastynesse of speech maketh many time a man fail& err in his judgment. And one rebuked a wiseman/ to the which the wiseman said. Thou rebukes me not of all my vices.¶ And it was asked of him why he wolde haue noo sone. And he answered I had lever be without for when I behold the grete love that a man hath to his child& the grete pains& troubles that he hath to bring him up/ and at last must lese him the sorrow were more to me than the joy¶ It was advised one the was going in a far viage that he should not hold his journey leste he dyed therein& he answered that death is all one to me be it in other countries or at home. And it was asked of another what thing is not to be done though it be just/& true. And he answered a man ought not praise himself of ony of his good dedys.¶ And said it is sometime good to spare the sooth for to give hope to his enemies and to save his srendes fro death for trouth needeth not always to be said. And it was asked of him what thing was most delectable/& he answered that one is not sure to keep long in one degree and is most dffycyle to be found.¶ And said a man that desireth to come to ony great well ought not to leave it though he atteyn not thereto at the first but ought to continue his entreprys for it cometh at one time that cometh not at C.¶ And said the wiseman is not deceived by flateringes deceivable or sweet words leke as the snake/ which is taken& eaten by the peacock in beholding the fair feathers of his tail&/ a witty prince may help him in his warres as well with bad people as with good in dyvers maneres.¶ And said yf thou hate a man thou oughtest not therfore hate all his servants. And said though a man hath bought a book it compelleth him not to study& rede therein.¶ And said men ought to serve god in .x. maneres that is to wit to yield him graces for the benefeytes that he hath give hȳ to bear pacyentely his aduersytes to speak truly to pay all that he promytteth to Iuge right wisely to be temperate to do good dedys after his power or he be required to worship his friends to forgive the faults of his enemies/ to desire nor do ony thing to ony man but as he wolde be done to. And one was blamed because he had given his silver to an evil person being in necessity/& he said I haue not given him my silver for his badness/ but because he was in necessity.  
¶ And said exercise of dyvers labour is health& delectation of the body. And it was asked him sythen when he was waxed wise. And he answered sythen the time that I began to dispraise and mystryst myself. He herde a man rehearse lesynges& untrue words/ to whom he said yf thou herdest another say that thou sayest thou wouldest not believe him wherefore thou mayest well think no man byleueth the.¶ And Aristophan{us} said victory of word is not victory in dede but the very victory is the work.¶ And Anaxagoras said a good wise man feareth not the death for wisdom governeth his wit& his tongue and his voice troth guideth his heart& his will pity& mercy ben his friends seeking of wisemen ben his feet his lordship is justice his reign is measure/ his sword is grace/ his weepen is peas/ his arrow is salvation his knyghthod is the counsel of wisemen his ornaments be strength his treasure is discipline/ his love is the company of good people/ his love& all his desire is to fle sin& to serve& love god.¶ And said a great treasure is to haue friends& is a noble affection wherefore it is convenient to cherish& keep them well and to win one by another as oft as birds drawn many in to ther company. And a king asked of a wiseman whom he reputed to be a good iuge. And he answered he that is not deceived by flateryes that is not corrupt by gifts and is not deceived for fault of discretion.¶ And another said slanderers ben worse than thieves/ for thieves steel but the goods/& slanderers take and destroy love.¶ And another said worship given with out cause at last turneth to shane.¶ And another said it were better to be in company& conversant with a serpent than with an evil woman.¶ And said one ought to doubt the subtylytes and crafts of his enemy yf he be wise& yf he be a fool than dread his folyes.¶ And another said the most liberal in this world is he that reputeth for a grete thing the good dedys that be done to him& that he repute for little that he hath done to other& that holdeth him coutent with that he hath be he poor or rich.¶ And said the most niggard of all men is he that asketh inportunatly after he is ones denied& refused his asking. And another said envy destroyeth the world& freteeth& wereth it as the filth of a gounge doth the iron.¶ And another said like as nothing may be written in a peyre of tables all redy written in without the first writing be put out. All in likewise the virtues& noblesses may not he had in no body without the vices& wretchedness ben first put away.¶ And another said like as a man may not all at ones behold with one eye the sky& with that other the earth In like wise a man may not aredye and dispose his wit to virtues& to vices to guider.¶ And another said the right stedefaste love is when the friends ben of like conditions& yf they be dyvers or contrarious vnneth that love may long endure.¶ And said people ought to doubt their king& him obey with fear& in love.  
And some asked him when the wit of man was infinite And he said when that he speaketh trouth.¶ And an other said the envious hateth the liberal& the niggard is wrath with that an other spendeth.¶ And another said all getting may not be justified ne health may not by gluttony/ ne frendeshyp with decepcyon/ ne noblesse with bad discipline/ ne love with pride/ ne justice with necessity/ ne rest of heart with envy/ ne wit& dyscreconn with vengeance/ nor process without counsel.¶ And another said trust not a fool neither for love ne for neyghbourshyp for it were as good to haue to thy neighbour a house take with fire. And another said he is thy great enemy whose works ben hard bitter& noynge to the& his words sweet& curtoyes.¶ And another said the wisemen endure here all their lives lasting& after their death their good works shal lasten in mennes minds.¶ And another said consyderacyon of the end of the works helpeth much to the good conclusion.¶ And another said thou ought to love though thou be not loved.¶ Another said a fool weeneth ever the god hath nothing well done nor employed but the he hath given him and seemeth that he could haue made& ordained this world better than god hath done howbeit he can not govern his own person onely.¶ And another said be willing to give the needy people/& in so doing thou shalt do service& pleasure to our lord god.¶ And another said it is better a man to hold his peas than to {con}trarye& argue with a fool& is as good to haue the enemyte of bad people as their frenshyp& the hard& the sharp life in well doing is better than the swettest in doing evil dedys and it is better to be without famed than to haue it bad& poverty is better than the rychesses of keytyues and the poor men without vices is better than the rich man that is worshipped for his sins.¶ And another said it were better not to know an injust king than to be his conseyllour or next in grace.¶ And another said yf thou give for to haue famed onely thereby that is not liberality for thou dost it but for thyn own avail.¶ And another said he is of noo laudable life that is not this day as good or better as he was the day passed.¶ And another said thou shalt not mow haue that that thou desirest without that thou bear patiently the greves that thou wouldest not haue.¶ And another said a man shalbe in thy hands as long as he shall trust the. And it was asked of a wiseman why he desired not to haue a sone. He answered by cause that I haue had enough ado for to chastise mi body and to address my soul without having ony other person to rule or teach. And it was asked of him who was he that most repenteth hȳ in this world/& he answred the wiseman at his death bycaufe that he hath not wrough aster sapience& he that hath done good to an unkind man. And it was asked of him what thing encreced the law. He answered trouth/& what sustaineth trouth reason& wit/ and werby is wit governed by keeping of the tongue& howe is the tongue kept/ with patience. What causeth {per}acyence dread of god& what causeth dread of god often to speak and remember death& to consider and know his fraylnes.¶ And another said su{per}fluyte maketh the body seek wine troubleth the wit/ wrath is contrary to wisdom/ but temperance comforteth the heart& put away all heaviness& causeth health.¶ And said howbeit that a wiseman be of low kindred yet is he noble and though he be a stranger he should be worshipped and though he be poor yet the people haue need of hȳ.¶ And another said he that endureth& taketh noo pain in his youth resteth him not in his age.¶ And another said the error of a fool giveth little rest to his thoughts.  
¶ And another said the tongue of a discrete man is in his heart& the heart of a fool is in his tongue.¶ And another said not withstanding thy nature use evermore good& laudable condycyous.¶ And another said a man ought continually to inquire what men say of him& where in they laud him and where in they blame him yf they laud him he to give the cause continually without pride therof& yf they blame him he to beware fro falling ony more to that case& not to hate them for their auertissement.¶ And said he is wise that is humble& meek in his might& power& when he is in grete estate to dispraise the world& is attemperate in his grete authority. And one desired of a wysman to tell him the difference betwixt this world& that other world/& he answered this world is a dream& the other world is a thing a waked.¶ And another said better is to speak well than to keep silence and better to keep silence than to speak evil.  
¶ And another said I haue accompanied me with the rich men& haue seen their rich array clothing& other things better than min were where vpon I had such envy& melancholy that I might haue no rest in myself than I accompanied me with poor men like as I was& than I was satisfied& in peas. And another said like as a man that is in a dark kaue may not se his proper figure in like wise the soul that is not clene nor pure may not clearly see {per}ceyue ne know the true& infinite goodness of almighty god. And another said like as the children when they be born in pain& entred in to this world rejoice them after when they be grete& feel the delices& eases therof.  
In like wise men be sorrowful when they shall die/ yet yf they haue lived well they go after in to a better world where they than rejoice them perpetually.  
¶ And another said as the goodenesse of wisemen goth evermore in amendyng/ in like wise goth the malice of the fools every day inempayrynge.¶ And another said yf thou correct a wiseman he shall thank the therfore& yf thou teach a fool he shall dispraise the.¶ And said he is thy very friend/ that in thy necessity offereth himself& his good unto the.¶ And another said the governor of a wiseman is patience& the governor of a fool pride.¶ And another said a man that is slothful in his works commonly is envious of the well of other men.¶ And another said it is good to inquire twice of things unknown/ for the first question is of will& the second is of discretion. And another said trouth is goddes messagyer wherefore she must be worshipped for the love of her master.¶ And another said he that multipleth his temporal goods dymynueth his spyrytualles.  
¶ And another said those that believe& dread god steedfastly haue not delectation but onely in him and in his works.¶ And another said the most laudable works that one may do is to obey the maundementes& pleasure of our lord god& the work of the body joined to work of the heart is more laudable than the work of the heart onely.¶ And another said the evil creatures ben worse than serpentes lions or caraynes/& in like wise as vpon the earth there is nothing better than the good creatures right so there is nothing worse than those that be wicked.¶ And another said he that taketh vpon him higher estate than to him belongeth putteth grete pain to be evil spoken of.¶ And another said he that will haue rest in his life ought to keep him from four occasions/ the first is that he ought not to be wrath though some creature live which he would haue dead. The second is yf some die which he would haue alive. The thyrde is yf he hath not that he desireth. And the fourthe is yf he se that fortune reise and bring up some other of lower deg●e than he is.¶ And another said to entermedle and deal little with worldly works is a thing that may best keep a man from all inconuenentes.¶ And another said the more a wiseman is alone the greater is his joy be it day or night.¶ And another said the evil disposed king is like a carayne that maketh the earth stink about it& the good king is like the fair running ryuere that is profitable to the creature.¶ And another said the wise men are not content to proufyte onely them self/ but semblably do advantage to other and the fools hurt not onely themself/ but rather take grete labour to hurt and troubly other folkes.¶ And another said a fool for a little thing exposeth him lightly to fortune¶ And said thou mayst not be so well arrayed nor be seen as with trouth.¶ And another said abstaining fro wrath& covetise is a laudable thing as well in this world as in the other.¶ And another said/ he that giveth counsyll& praiseth it himself would fain be called discrete.¶ And another said let not to do well though thy good dedys be not known for well doing is so good of itself that it shall be vayllable ynought to the at last.¶ And another said a man of good discretion ought not to exercise him in things impossible ne say things not vayllable ne spend more than his winning is ne promit more than he may fulfil.¶ And another said a man may haue but pain& labour in this world.¶ And said he that eateth not shall die for hunger& yf he eateth more than ynought he shall be seek/ wherefore it is a difficile thing to a man to be long in health.¶ And another said trust him not that forswereth his faith for worldly things. And another said idleness engendereth ignorance& ignoraunse engendereth error.¶ And another said thou shalt finde every where clothing meet& place for to dwell in yf thou be ought but& that sufficeth thee not that is thy necessary thou shalt be subject to covetise& yet thou shall lack thy desire.¶ And another said in long sleeping is not profit but harm is to use it. And a man ought to beware that he dispend not half his life in idleness.¶ And another said the good soul wolde haue no rest in this world than he that will haue a good soul ought to beware of rest.¶ And another said beware of the company of a liar in al thy works be thy ī grete authority or in small.¶ And another said he that loveth the with faint love& for worldly things shall hate thee in like wise but he that loveth the for the {per}petual well shal grow evermore in thy love.¶ And another said govern the so well that thou keep thee from evil doing/ and suffice thee with the good dedys that thou shall do beside.¶ And another said he that will wit whether his soul be noble and clene or foul and corrupt he ought to consydere his delctayon and his conscience/ and yf he delighteth him in doing good virtues and noble things without harm than his soul is clene and noble. And yf he delighteth him in doing foul and transitorye things and of no value than his soul is foul/ for every thing rejoiceth him with his semblable the good with the good and the evil with the evil.¶ And another said he is happy that goth the right way for he findeth sooner the place whether he wolde go and he that goth out of the way the more he goth the further he is behind. And it was asked of a wiseman what was perfect folly/ and he answered to think to come to a good estate and prosperity by bad works/ to love falsehood and hate trouth/ to take delectation in rychesses and to trust every man. And it was asked of him what is the sign of little forsyght and little knowledge and he answered one to give trust where he hath ben deceived and suffice you with the translacyon of the sayings of these philosophers.   

HEre endeth the book name the dictes or sayngis of the philosophers Emprynteth at London in Flestrete by me wynkinde word the year our lord. M. CCCCC.xxviij. which book was translated out of/ french into english by the noble and puissant lord Antoine earl of Ryuyers lord of Scales and of the/ Isle of wight. defemder and director of the siege apostolic for our lord holy father the Pope in this Royame of england& governor of my lord prince of wales/ and It is so that at such time as he had accomplisshid this said work it liked him to send it to me in certain quayers to oversee/ which forthwith I saw and found therein many grete notable/ and wise sayings of/ the philozophers. according unto the books made in french which I had oft a fore read/ But certainly I had seen none in english till a that time. And so afterward I cam unto my said lord/& told hȳ howe I had rede& seen his book/& the he had don a merytory dede in the labour of the translation therof in to our english tongue wherein he had deserved a singular laud and thank. &c. then my said lord desired me to oversee it and where as I should finde fault to correct wherein I answered unto his lordship that I could not amend it but yf I should so {pre}sume I might a pair it For it was right well and connyngly made and translated into right good and fair english/ Notwythstondyng he willed me to oversee it and showed me diverse lettres myssyues sent from/ Alisander to darius and/ Aristotle and each to other. which lettres were lytyl appertenent unto to dictes& sayings aforesaid for as much as they specifye of other matters& also desired me that don to put the said book in emprinte. And thus obeyng his request and commandment I haue put me in deuoir to ouerse this his said book& behelden as nigh as I could how It accordeth with thorigynal being in frensh.¶ And I finde nothing discordaunt therein. Sauf onely in the dictes and sayings of Socrates wherein I finde that my said lord hath left out certain and diverse conclusyons touching women whereof I meruaylle that my said lord hath not wretō them ne what hath menyth him so to do. Ne what cause he had at that time. But I suppose that some fair lady hath desireth him to leave it out or his book/ Or ellys he was amerous on somme noble lady/ for whos love he would not set yt in his book. Or ellys for the very affection love and good coil that he hath unto all ladies and Gentilwomen/ he thought that Socrates spared the sooth. And wrote of women more than truth/ which I can not think that so true a man and so noble a philozophre as Socrates was should write other wise than truth/ For If he had made fault in writing of women he ought not ne should not be beleuyd in his other dictes and sainges. But I aperceyue that my said lord knoweth verily that such defaults ben not had ne founden in the women born and dwelling in these parties ne regions of the world/ Socrates was a greek borem in a far contre from hens which contre is alle of other conditions than this is And men& women of other nature they bē her in this contre. For I wot well of what someuer condition women bē in Grece he women of this contre bē right good/ wise pleasant/ humble/ discrete/ sober/ chased obedient to their husbondis/ true/ secret steadfast ever busy/ and never idle/ Attemperat in speaking and virtuous in alle their werkis/ or at leste should be so. For which causes so evident mi said lord as I suppose thought it was not of necessity to set in his book the sayengis of his/ author socrates touching women But for as much as I had commandement of my said lord to correct and amend where as I should find fawre and other find I none safe that he hath left out these dyctes and sayings of the women of Grece/ therfore in accomplissynge his commandment for as much as I am not in certain whether It was in my lordis copy or not/ or ellys peradventure that the wind had blow over the leef. At time of translation of his book I purpose to write tho same sayings of that. greek. Socrates/ which wrote of tho women of Grece and nothing of them of this Royalme/ whom I suppose he never knew. For yf he had I dare planly say that he wolde haue reserved them in especial in his said dictes. Alway not presumyng to put and set them in my said lords book/ but intend apart in the rehersesayll of the werkis humbly requiring all them that shall rede this little rehearsal that yf they finde ony fault tarecte it to. Socrates and not to me which writeth as here after followeth.  
SOcrates said that women ben thapparaylles to catch men/ but they take none but them that will be poure/ or else them that know hem not/ and he said that ther is none so grete empeshement unto a man as ignorance/ and women. And he saw a woman that bare fire of whom he said that the hotter bare the colder. And he saw a woman seek/ of whom he said that the evil restith and dwellith with the evil. And he saw a woman brought to the justice/ and many of women followed her weeping/ of whom he said the evil ben sorry and angry because the evil shall perish. And he saw a young maid that learned to writ of whom he said that men multypleith evil vpon evil.¶ And he said that the ignorance of a man is known in three things That is to wete when he hath no thought to use reason. when he can not refrain his couetyses. And when he is governed by the counsel of women in that he knoweth that they know not.¶ And he said unto his disciples will ye that I ensygne and teach you howe ye shall mow escape fro all evil and they answered ye& than he said to them. For what somever thing that it be keep you and be well ware that ye obey not to women. who answered to him again& what sayest thou by our good moders and of our miters. He said to them. suffice you with that I haue said to you/ for all ben semblable in malice.¶ And he said who somever will acquere& gete science late him never put him in the governance of a woman. And he saw a woman that made her fresh and gay to whom he said thou resemblest the fire/ for the more wode is laid to the fire the more will it brenne& the greater is the heat. And on a time one asked him/ what him seemed of women. He answered that the women resemble unto a three called Edelfla which is the fairest three to behold and that may be/ but within it is full of venom.¶ And they said to him and demanded wherefore he blamed so women/ and that himself had not comen in to this world ne none other men also without them He answered/ the woman is like unto a three name Chassoygne on which three there ben many things sharp and prickinge which hurt and prick them that aproche unto it/ and yet never the less that same three bringeth forth good dates and sweet. And they demanded him why he fled from the women and he answered for as much as I see them flee and eschew the good and commonly do evil. And a woman said to him wilt thou haue ony other woman than me/ and he answered to her. Arte thou not ashamed to offer thyself to him that demandeth nor desireth the not.  
LO these ben the dictes& sayengis of the philosophre Socrates which he wrote in his bok And for as much as it is acordaunt/ that his dictes& sayengis should be had as well as others therfore I haue set it in thende of this book. And also somme persons per adventure that haue read this bok in french would haue arette a great default in me that I had not do my deuoir in visiting and ouerseynge of mi lords book according to his desire. And somme other also happily might haue supposed/ that Socrates had wreton much more evil of women than here afore is specified wherefore in satisfyenge of all parties and also for excuse of the said sacrates I haue set these said dictes& sayengis a parte in thende of this book/ to thentent that yf my said lord or ony other person what somever he or she be that shall rede or here it/ that yf they be not well plesyd with all that they with a pen race it out or ellys rent the leef out of the book Humbly requiring and besechinge my said lord to take no displaysir on me so presumyng but to pardon where as he shall finde fault/ and that it please him to take the labour of thenpryntynge in gre and thank/ which gladly I haue don mi diligence in thaccomplisshinge of his desire and commandement In which I am bound so to do for the good reward that I haue ryeseyued of his said lordship whom I beseech almighty god tēcrece& to cōtin̄e in his virtuous disposition in this world And after this life to live ever lastyngly in heaven. Amen  
¶ Thus endeth the dyctes and sayings of Philozophers   

Inprynted at London in fleetstreet at the sign of the son by me wynkyn de word in the year our lord. M. CCCCC..xxviij.  
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