The babees book, Aristotle's A B C, Urbanitatis, Stans puer ad mensam, The lvtille childrenes lvtil boke, The bokes of nurture of Hugh Rhodes and John Russell, Wynkyn de Worde's Boke of keruynge, The booke of demeanor, The boke of curtasye, Seager's Schoole of vertue, &c. &c. with some French and latin poems on like subjects, and some forewords on education in early England. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall ...

Whate-ever thow sey, avyse thee welle! [MS. O. 9. 38. Trinity College, Cambridge.]

Almyȝty godde, conserue vs fram care! Where ys thys worle A-wey y-wente? A man that schold speke, had nede to be ware, ffor lytyl thyng he may be schente; Line 4 Tonggys beth y-turne to lyther entente; Hertys, they beth bothe fykel and felle; Man, be ware leste thow repente! Whate euer thow sey, A-vyse the welle! Line 8

A-vyse the, man, yn whate place and whare A woord of conseyl thow doyst seyne; Sum man may ley ther-to hys ere; Thow wenyst he be thy frend; he ys thy foo certeyne; Line 12 Peraventor aftyr A ȝere or tweyne— Thow trowyst as tru as eny stele,— Thys woord yn wreth thow schalt hyre A-gayne! Whate euer thow sey, A-vyse the welle! Line 16

Meny man spekyth yn hastenys: hyt hyndryth hym and eke hys frende; hym were welle beter his tonge to sese Than they both ther-for be schende. Line 20 Suche wordys beth not to be had yn meynde, hyt makyȝt comforte with care to kele: Man, yn the begynnyng thenk on þe eynde! Whate euer thow sey, A-vyse the welle! Line 24

Line 24 To sum man thow mayste tel a pryuy tale: Whan he fro the ys wente A-way, ffor a drawȝt of wyne other ale he wolle the wrey, by my fay, Line 28 And make hyt worse (hyt ys noo nay) Than euer hyt was, A thowsend dele. Thys ys my songe both nyȝt & day, Whate euer thow sey, A-vyse the welle! Line 32

Be ware of bagbytynge, y the rede; ley flaterynge vndyr thy foote, loke; Deme the beste of euery dede Tylle trowth haue serchyd truly þe roote; Line 36 Rrefrayne malyce cruelle & hoote; Dyscretly and wysly speende thy spelle; Boost ne brage ys worth A Ioote; Whate euer thow sey, A-vyse the welle! Line 40

Dysese, wharre, sorowe and debate, ys caused ofte by venemys tonge; haddywyst cometh euer to late Whan lewyd woordis beth owte y-spronge. Line 44 The kocke seyth wysly on his songe 'hyre and see, and hold the stylle,' And euer kepe thys lesson A-monge, Whate euer thow sey, A-vyse the welle! Line 48

y dere welle swery by the sonne, yf euery man had thys woord yn thowȝt Meny thynggis had neuer be by-gunne That ofte yn Ingelond hath be y-wroȝt. Line 52 The wyse man hath hys sone y-tawȝtte [See The Wise Man, p. 48.] yn ryches, poorte, woo, and welle; Thys worthy reson for-ȝete thow noȝt, Whate euer thow sey, A-vyse the welle! Line 56

Line 56 yf that thow wolte speke A-ryȝt, Ssyx thynggys thow moste obserue then: What thow spekyst, & of what wyȝt, Whare, to wham, whye, and whenne. Line 60 Thow noost how soone thow schalt go henne; As lome be meke, as serpent felle; yn euery place, A-monge alle men, Whate euer thow sey, A-vyse the welle! Line 64

"Almyȝty god yn personys thre, With herte mylde mekly y praye, Graunte me grace thy seruant to be Yn woorde and dede euer and aye! Line 68 Mary, moder, blessyd maye, Quene of hevyn, Imperes of helle, Sende me grace both nyȝt and daye!" Whate euer thow sey, A-vyse the welle! Line 72

EXPLICIT &c.