¶ For exspences .

AS for Exspences , here and take ryght good hede , that yf in thy house thyne exspences , & thyne receytes be equall , than a sodeyne chaunce of losse by infortune , may soone dystroye the state of it .

¶ Neclygence .

¶ The state of a necligent man mareth a ruynous house . For necligence of a man gouernynge a howse , is as a great fyre , kyndled in the same serche therfore wysely & dylygently , & the purpose of them , that mynyster thy gooddes , for a man redy to fal , and not yet fallen may soone be holpen , for it is lesse shame to abstayne than to fall , often to ouer se thy gooddes , in what maner they stande is great prudence .

¶ Thy beastes .

¶ Than remembre the meate and the drinke of thy beastis , for though they hunger and thurste , they cannot aske what they lacke or nede .

¶ The costes .

¶ To ouer sumptuous weddinges yeldeth hurte without worship , cost done to resyste malyce is worshypfull . Cost done to refresshe thy frendes is resonable , coste done to sustayne wastfull spenders is alwayes but loste .

¶ Meate and drynke .

¶ To norysshe thy meyne in a measure honestly , not delycatly , he that is a gloton vnyeth otherwyse , than by deth shall chaunge his maners , Glotonye of a vyle & neclygent persone , is but corruption . The welfare of a dylygent persone is but a solace , yf there be a strife betwene glotony and thy purse , be thou thy self aduocat betwene them , and let the sentence or the moste parte be with thy purse , for whan he bryngeth in his two wytnesses with hym , that is to say , the cheste & the selier voyde , or els nygh voyde , I trow thou wylt holde with the purse , & yf the purse be bounde with Couetousnes than the sentence goth agaynst glotony , Be not desyrous of costly deyntes , for than thou wylte gyue sentence wi●h glotony agaynst the purse to his hurte .

¶ The couetyce .

Couetyce doth nothynge rightful but whan he lyeth , what is a couetouse man , he that hath suffycyent rychesse , and euer dredeth pouerte , & yet he besyeth hym selfe a way to lyue in pouerte . A●l that is kept for other men he thynketh it wel , & that thynge that is spended vpon hym selfe , be thynketh it but losse .

¶ The seller of corne :

If thou be a corne seller , lone thou no derth , yf thou do , thou sleest the poore men , sell thy corne whan it is at a reasonable pryce , and not whan the poore men maye not bye it , not onely to thy neyghboure , but also to thy enemyes sell at an easye pryce , for not alwaye with swerde , but oft tymes by meate and drynke thy enemye is ouercome .

¶ The enemyes .

And yf thou haue an enemy be not to conuersaunt with vnknowen men but alwayes agaynst hym , and all agaynst vnknowen persones , lett● thyne iyen be thy guyde , for a subtyl●… enemye intendeth at somtyme to be auenged . The febl●nes of thyne enemye is not a perpetuell peace , but truse for a tyme , yf thou wene that thou be sure of thyne enemye , thou puttest thy selfe in peryll .

¶ The gyftes .

Receyue gladly the small gyftes of thy poore neyghboure or frende , for oft tymes he is more trustye frende that gyueth with his herte , than he that offeryth hymselfe onely , for in wordes there is great plenty of frendes , call not hym thy frende that oft prayseth the in thy presence , yf thou counceyll thy frende , desyre not to please him , but to please reason , Say t● thy frende in counceyllinge , thus semyth me , not precisely , thus is to be done , for yf thy counceyll come to euyll profe , there foloweth some re●rese , than yf it come to good effect , ●han it is praysynge .

¶ The women .

Of thy women suspect what they do rather pretende ygnoraunce thanne knowledge , for whan thou knowest the cryme of thyne euyll wyfe , of no Phesycian thou shalt be cured . The ●●rowe taken of thyne euyll wyfe , ●hou maye abate whan thou hereth lyke thinges of other menēs wyues 〈◊〉 noble and a gentyl herte serchyth not the warkes of a woman , thou shalt sooner chastyce thyne euyl wyfe with smylynge , than with a staffe a yonge woman a strompet shal consume away ryches an olde woman a strumpet yf the lawe wolde suffer i● she were worthy to be brent quycke .

¶ The clothynge .

Sumptuous Clothynge outragyously a preyfe of lytell wyt , ouer shynynge coloures in thy clothing gendreth disoa●ne to thy neyghboures , study to please with vertue , and not with clothynge . The petycion of a woman askynge clothes , and is sufficiently clothed , she with her vnstedfastnes , steryth dysdayne .

¶ The Iogelars .

A man cherysshyng Iogelars shal soone haue a wyfe , whose name i● pouerte , but who shall be her sone● forsoth derysion , yf if happen the to here the wordes of a iogelar , fayne thyself not to here them , but to thicke on other thynges . Iogelars that hurte any man eyther in his goodes or in his body , be worthy to be hanged , what is a iogelar ? but a distroyer , or els deth of a mannes soule , the instrumentis of a Iogelar please not our lorde God .

¶ The seruauntes .

A seruaunte of hyghe harte put a waye from the , as after to be thyne enemye . A seruaunt glosynge in his maners and condycions remeue fro th● , a seruaunt nyghe vnto the , and ●ft tymes praysyng the withstande , a seruaunt lyghtly shamefaste loue as thyne owne sone . Also and thou haue a seruaunte that is a lyer or a swerer , put hym or her awaye , for they shall do the neuer profyte .

¶ Of buyldynge .

And yf thou wylte buylde , let nede moue the , and not thyne owne voluptuousnes , for the apetite of a buylder is neuer in buyldynge satyate . Inordynate and ouer moche desyre of buyldynge causeth and abydeth the sellynge of thynges buylded , toure buylded , and the cheste euacuat maketh a man after wyse .

¶ The sellynge of herytage .

And yf thou wylte selle , beware that thou selle not a parte of thyne herytage to them that ben greatter than thy self , but rather for lesse pryce , sell al to hym that offereth most it is better to suffre great hungr● than the sellynge of thy patrimony , but it is better to sell than to do vsurye and worse .

¶ Of felawshyp .

And yf thou wylte haue a felawe , rather felawshyppe the with hym that accordeth to the in maners than in goods , and suffre hym pacyeutly all in lawfull thynges , let not here of wrath be felawshypped vnto the.

¶ Dronkennes .

He that in dyuer syte and aboundaunce of wyne is sobre is an erthly God , droukennesse doth nothynge ryght but whan she falleth into the myre , whan thou arte dystempred with wyne fle conuersacyon & seke slepe . The dronken excusynge hym selfe openly accuseth his dronkenes , it semyth not well a yonge man or a yonge woman to knowe wynes , fle a dronken phesycian fle also a phesycyan wyllynge to proue in the howe from a lyke syckenes he shall cure other folkes .

¶ Of dogges .

Lyttel dogges leue them to clarkꝭ and ladyes , dogges that can kepe thy howse be profytable , houndes for to hunte spende more then they shall gette the.

¶ Of fortune .

Yf fortune be to the contrary se that the rule of honest lyuyng be suffycyent to the , what profytes it the , the rule of lyuynge ? take hede thou seest fooles not doynge theyr deuoyre toget theyr lyuyng , and yet they excuse them by fortune . It is seldom seen dewe dylygence with infortune , but it is seldomer seen infortune parted from Slouth . The slouthfull man abydeth to be holpen of god , whiche in the worlde dyspyseth to laboure , watche therfore besylye and let the lyghtnes of spendynge be recompensed with scarsenes of getynge .

¶ Of thy tastament .

Aege commeth I counceyll the rather commyt the to God than to thy sone , whan thou shalte dyspose thy goodes I councell theto commaunde fyrste that thydettes and seruauntes be payde , that done loke thou be take not thy soule to them that be couetous , neyther to players of dyce & cardes , neyther to them that loueth thy person , but to them that loueth theyr owne sowles , dispose thy selfe before sickenes , for oftimes by sickenes a man is made the seruaunt of syckenes , and a seruant may not make a testamente . Therfore in thy lybertye make thy testamente or thou come to bondage , yf thou haue an heyre make hym not thy executour .

¶ Of thy sones .

Nowe here of thy sones : whan the ●ather is deed , the sones seke deuysyon , if they be noble better is the spredynge abrode of them in the worlde ●●an the deuysyon of thy herytage , ●r oftymes the deuysyon of the he●ytage is the dystruction of the kyndred , yf they be labourers let them do what they wyll , yf they marchaū●es theyr deuysyon is better than to ●e togyther lest the infortune of one ●e imputed to other .

¶ Of thy mother .

Here now of thy mother , yf thy mother seke to be maryed she doeth vnwysely , but that she wepe her synnes I wolde that she beynge olde myght take a yonge man , for he shall not onely caste awaye h●●●ut also her goodes whiche done she shal drynke with the cuppe of sorowe , which she deserued by her dotage .

Si vis ad vitam ingredi serua mandata . ¶ He that wyll to heauen surely kepe the hestes of God almyghty Thou shalt haue no God but one Idle othes swere thou none Thy sabboth dayes thou must k●●● Father and mother worshyp eke Sle no man in any wyse Lechery thou shalt dyspyse False wytnes thou shalt none ber● Stele thou nothynge in no maner● Desyre thou not thy neyghbours wy●● Seruaunt ne goodes in thy lyfe . ¶ Now foloweth .vij. werkis ghost●● that men ought kepe souerayn●● Teche the vnlerned , and gyue good counsell Comforte the sory & chastyse the rebel ●orgyue vnkyndnes , & suffer wronge And for thyn enemyes pray amonge ¶ Thou shalt neuer be sure of heuen But thou fle the deedly synnes seuen . Pryde , wrath , enuye , and glotony . Couetyse , Slouth , and Lechery . Christ shall the axe whan thou shalt dye Seuen bodely werkes of mercy . ¶ Of fedynge the hungry with the thursty . ●●othyng the naked , lodgyng the nedy ●●mforte the sycke & prysoners both . 〈◊〉 bury the deed , be thou not loth . ¶ Wyttes fyue of thy bodye , Must well be vsed or thou dye . ●n herynge , and seynge , 〈◊〉 tastying , smellyng , & touchynge : ¶ But wyttes fyue specialy , Moueth men graciously . ●yll , mynde , ymagynacion . ●ith vnderstandynge and reason . ●yse man yf thou arte ●f thy goodes take thy parte ●r thou hens wende . Yf thou leaue thy p … For executours to departe . Thy parte shall be no parte . at the laste ende . Do some good man by thy lyue , Whyles thou hast thy mynde . Thy chyldren wyll the soone forg●● Thy wyfe wyll be vnkynde . Executours be couetous , And take what they fynde . Yf thou wylt not whan thou 〈◊〉 They wyll brynge the behynde .