REmember first of all ( vertuous reder ) that it is high wisedome & great perfection , thy selfe to know , and then thy selfe to despise . Thou must knowe that thou hast nothing that good is of thy selfe , but of God : For the gifts of nature , & al other temporal giftes of this world , which be lawfully and truely obtained , well considered , beene come to thee by the infinite goodnesse and grace of God , and not of thy selfe . But in especial it is necessarie for thee to knowe that God of his great grace hath made thee his Image , hauing regarde to thy memorie , vnderstanding , and free will , and that God is thy maker , & thou his wretched creature , & that thou art redeemed of God by the passion of Christ Iesu , and that God is thy helper . thy refuge , and thy deliuerer from all euil , and to consider and knowe the goodly order which God of his infinite wisedome hath ordayned thee to be ordered by . As to haue these temporal goodes for the necessitie of thy body : the body and sensual appetites to be ordered by thy soule : thy soule to be ordred by reason & grace : by reason and grace to knowe thy duetie to God and to thy neighbour , and by all common reason if thou kepe this conuenient order to God and his creatures , they shall keepe their order to thee : But if thou breake thine order to them , of likely hood they shal breake their order to thee . For how should thy wife , children , seruaunts , and other creatures , with the which thou hast dooings , doo their dutie , and kepe their order to thee , if thou doest not so to God and to them ? And also thinke thou of a suretie , that if thy sensuall apetite be not ordred by reason and grace , thou art worse ordred than a beast : for then thou liuest out of order , & so doth not a beast , which is a great shame and rebuke to thee a reasonable creature , and without the great mercie of God , it shal be to thine eternal damnation . And therefore thinke and thanke God , and vtterly disspise thy selfe , and thinke thy selfe a great wretch , in that God hath done so much for thee , and thou hast so oft offended his highnesse , & also done him so litle seruice . Surely it is also great wisedom to think , that if it had pleasd God for to haue giuen to all other men ( aswell beggers as other ) like grace as he hath giuen to thee , that they would haue serued his goodnes better than thy selfe hast don : Wherefore thinke thy selfe a wretch of al wretches , except the mercy of God . And therefore by his infinite mercy and grace , call vnto thy remembraunce the degree or dignitie which almightie God of his goodnes hath called thee vnto , and according thereunto yeelde thy debt , and doo thy duetie .

¶ First and principally , honour God as thy maker , loue him as thy redeemer , feare him as thy iudge . Secondarily , thy neighbour which is thy superiour , obey : Haue concorde and peace with them which be euen with thee in degree : & haue mercy and pity on thine inferiours Thirdly , prouide thee to haue a cleane heart , and a good custodie of thy toong . Pray and take labor by grace to haue wisedome & cunning to do thy duetie to God and to thy neighbour . And in all thy words & dedes haue euer in minde , that God and his angels heareth and seeth euerie thing , and that nothing is so priuily done , but it shal be made open . And in especial haue in minde that thou shalt die shortly , and how Christ died for thee , the subtilty and falsenes of this temporal world , the ioyes of heauen , and the paines of hell . And euery morning , among other thy meditations and prayers , pray vnto thy Lord God , that the day folowing , thou ( acording to the degree which he of his infinite goodnesse and mercie hath called thee vnto ) maiest vse this temporall wretched world in thy thaughtes words , and deedes , that by them and the merite of Christes passion , thou maiest eschewe the paines of hel , and come to the ioy euerlasting . And in executing thereof kepe truth in wordes and deedes . Defende no man , nor no matter , against the trueth . In all thinges thinke and trust in God , and he shal direct thy wayes . Trust not to thine owne witte , but feare God , and he will keepe thee from euil . If thou trust more in thine owne witte than in the grace of God , thy policie shall be soone subuerted . Be content to heare good counsayle , though it be contrarie to thy will : For he is a verie foole that will heare nothing gladlie , but that is according to his mind . Do thou no man harme , least thou sufferest the same . As thou wouldest be done vnto , so do thou vnto other . Be such to other , as thou desirest they should be to thee . If thou be religious , remember that the due execution of true religion is not in wearing of the habite , but with a cleane mynde in verie deede to execute the rules and ordinances of religion : For so it is , that to weare the habite and not to execute the rule and order of religion , is rather to be deemed hipocrisie , or apostatasie , than otherwise . If thou be lay and vnmaried , keepe thee cleane vnto the time thou be maried . And remember the sore and terrible punishmente of Noys flood , and of the terrible fire and brimstone & sore punishmente of Sodome and Gomor , done to man for misusing of the fleshe . And in especial ca●l to remembrance the marueilous and horrible punishmente of that abhominable great pocks daiely appearing to our sightes , groing in & vpon mans flesh , the which sore punishment ( euerie thing wel remembred ) cannot be thought , but principally for the inordinate misuse of to fleshe . And if thou intende to marie , or be maried , and hast a good wife , thanke our Lorde therefore , for shee is of his sending . Ane remember that three thieges in especiall beene pleasaunt to the spirite of God , that is to say , concorde betweene brethren , loue and charitie betwene neighbours , and a man & his wife wel agreeing . And if thou haue an euil wife , take pacience , & thanke God , for all is for the best , well taken : How be it thou art bounde to doo and praie for her amendement , least shee go to the Deuil , from whom she came . And haue in remembraunce , that the intent of mariage is not in the beastly apetite or pleasure in the thing , but the intent there of is , to eschewe the sinne of the flesh , or else to haue children . And if thou haue children , as much as thou mayest bring them vp in vertue , to be the seruaunts of God : for it is better for thee and them not to be borne , than to be other wise . In thine aucthoritie , busie thee rather to be beloued of thine inferyours , than to be dreaded . Let thy subiectes and seruauntes rather serue and obey thee for loue , than for dreade or neede : With such a soueraigne goodnesse gouerne thy subiectes , that they may be glad to serue thee both in punishing and in cherishing .

Keepe a manerly meane . Be not to straite . Forgiue not to soon . Keep a conuenient mesure in al thy works Go not to meate as a beast , but as a easōable man , say thy grace , & then remenber that mo be sicke and die by superfluities of meates , then otherwise . Wherefore eate with measure , to liue in health . at thy meate haue none other but honest communication , and such as is according to thy cunning . Backbite no man . Be merie in honestie : For sorrow and care hath killed many , and no profite therein . In no wise sweare , without compulsion of the lawe : For whereas is great swearing , from thence is neuer the plague of God . In no wise braul , ne chyde without an vrgent cause : For Salomon sayth , better is a little with ioye , than a house ful of vitailes with brawling . Also he sayth , An euil person is euer chyding , and therefore the Angell of God shall be sent against him . Be content at thy dinner , & also at other times to geue part of that which God hath sent thee : For he that wil not heare the cry of a poore man , he shal cry to God , and not be heard . After thy meat thanke God of that he hath sent thee , or els thou dost not as a reasonable man , but like a beast , which in eating remembreth nothing but his meate . With good prouidence and discretion see thee time where , when , how , why , or wherefore thou speakest , doest , or byddest any thing to be don . When thou deemest or iudgest any , be he poore or riche , behold and consider the cause , and not the person . Be as meeke in other mens causes and offences , as in thine own . Sit neuer in dome and iudgement without pitie or mercy . For while thou hast pitie , and art mercifull to other mens offences , thou hast mercie on thy selfe : For in what measure thou measurest , it shal be meaassured to thee . Yet thou must execute iudgemente , but it must be with pitie or mercy : For ( of a suretie ) to do mercie & iustice , is more pleasaunt to God , then to pray or to doo sacrifice vnto him . Deeme no man by light suspections . First prone , and then deeme . In doubtes , reserue the sentence to Gods might . That thou knowest not , commit it to God . haue litle or none affection & loue to these earthlie and temporall thinges .

For blessed is the riche man that trusteth not in his money and treasure . Remember , as a man loueth so he is : For the louer is in the thing loued more properlie , than in him selfe . Wherefore , if a man loue earthlie thinges , he may be called , an earthly man . And if he loue principallie heauenlie thinges or God , he may be called , An heauenty or a Godly man . And therefore loue God and heauenly thinges , for vndoubtedly that is best and most assured loue , for they be and euer shall be permanente , and all earthly things be soone vanished and ended , and so the loue of them is in vaine . Also it is wisedome to feare God : For as he sayeth him selfe . Feare not him that may kill the bodie , and can not hurt the soule : but feare him that can kill the bodie and also the soule , and commit them to euerlasting paine . Wherefore , euery euening ere thou go to bed , cal to remembraunce ( as much as thou canst ) thy thoughtes , words , and deedes , sayd and don that day . And if any haue been to thine owne profite and to the pleasure of God , hartily thanke him , for by his grace it was done . And if any haue beene contrarie to his pleasure , aske hartily mercy and reconcile thy selfe shortly by repentaunce , to eschewe the euerlasting and terrible paines of hel . For ( as Saint-Austine sayth ) there is not a greater madness , than for a little temporal delectation ( which is soone done ) to lose the eternall ioye , and to be bounde to euerlasting paine : from the which the almightie Father of heauen by his infinite power and mercy , and bitter passion and infinite wisdome of Iesu Christ , and by the infinite goodnes and charitie of the holy Ghost keepe vs . Amen . Deo gracias .