Florio his firste fruites which yeelde familiar speech, merie prouerbes, wittie sentences, and golden sayings. Also a perfect induction to the Italian, and English tongues, as in the table appeareth. The like heretofore, neuer by any man published.

I Pray you tel me, do you com∣mend Silence, and Taciturni∣tie, as many haue done in the old tyme?

Silence is a thing woorthy to be commended of all men, em∣braced of many, and cheri∣shed of euery estate.

Socrates dyd teache to his scol∣lars three things, the first was, to be silent in speache, the seconde, to be shamefaste in

the face: the third, to be wise in hart: for saith he, the wise∣dōe of a foole is in his tōgue, & the tongue of the wise man is hydden in his hart. Demo∣sthenes saith, that silence in a Prince, is a necessary thyng: Silence is a rare vertue, Si∣lence is a iewel of greate va∣lour: Thou hurtest no man, thou betrayest no man, thou deceyuest no man, and yet Silence is the heauiest burdē that is, the weightiest thought a disease that alwaies burneth that alwayes pricketh a man. O how fewe are there found now adayes among men, that hold their peace? but fewer a∣mong women.

Verily you say true, few there are found.

Tel me of courtesie, what thyng Liberalitie is, I beleeue that it is a great vice.

Wherfore say you so?

Because so fewe do vse it.

And for that is it a vice?

What can I tel? I see so fewe vse Liberalitie, that I thought it had been as it were a kynd of greate treason, because it is v∣sed so seeldome.

But see you not that the worlde goeth contrarye, for where

man should vse liberalitie, he vseth auarice and couetous∣nesse. Liberalitie is a great vertue, and therefore fewe do vse it, and lesse doo practise it. Liberalitie is a vertue che∣rished of fewe, despised of many: fewe there are found, that in geuyng are prompt and ready, & in taking slowe: Fewe wyll beleeue Curtius, when as he saith, that to pos∣sesse much, is no riches, but auarice and couetousnesse, and contrarywise, to couet nothing, but geue much, that is a possessing of great riches, and to be liberal. Fewe I be∣leeue, or none at al, there are to be founde nowe adayes, that are, as many haue ben in Rome; that are franke in ge∣uing; liberal toward the most part, benefactors vnto al, and couetous toward none: such men dyd keepe open house. Liberality in a Prince, pur∣chaseth hym loue and fayth: in a Noble man, seruice and good wyll of all. Liberalitie purchaseth vnto al men be∣nefites, but few say with Alex∣ander the Emperour.

And what sayth he?

He sayth, that a Prince shoulde

alwayes be more prompt and ready in geuyng, then in ta∣king.

Oh noble saying of a prince.

An other demaunded of Alex∣ander, where were al his ri∣ches, that he had gotten in so many warres that he had made? he made signe to∣warde his subiectes, and an∣sweared, In the hartes of my people.

Oh noble prince.

He sayth, what greater thing can a Prince desire of his sub∣iectes, then truth and fayth towarde hym? What thyng can be more laudable in a Prince, then liberalitie and le∣nitie toward his subiects? the liberalitie of a poore man, is his good wyl. What greater gift can a man geue, thē that as proceedeth from his hart? There was a king in Thebes that was so liberal whilest he liued, that whē he dyed, there was not so much money foūd by hym, as to bury hym: he left no money vpon bankes, gold in chestes, iewels in co∣fers, nor riches hydden.

Of those there are foūd few. For the more a mā hath, the more he ought to feare the muta∣bilitie

of Fortune. Euery one is liberal in speach, but fewe are franke in geuing: euery one speaketh against enuie & malice, and yet we hate one another: we continually ex∣clame against tyranny, & yet wee are mercylesse: we des∣pise pride, and yet wee are without humanitie: wee ab∣horre gluttony & drunkēnes, and yet wee are alwayes fea∣styng and banquettyng: wee alwayes crye out agaynst idle∣nesse, and yet we are alwayes idle: wee are alwayes spea∣kinge euyll of sclaunderous tongues, and yet wee can say well of no bodye. O God, at what poynt are wee? euery one dooth enuie his neigh∣bour, we al seke to ouercome one another.

I beleeue that the worlde be al∣most at an end.

So beleeue I also.

Certis sir you haue satisfied me in many things, but yet I pray you to tell me somethyng of Age.

Bion that Philosopher saith, that Age is the last port of rest, the ende of all miserie, the hauen of lyfe, the fulfyllyng of all pylgrimages, and an

honorable thing, and desired of al. There was one that as∣ked hym wherfore he praysed age so much? he answeared, al∣though the Spring be plesant yet the Haruest is fertile, the flowres that growe in the Spring, in Haruest are ripe∣ned, so he compareth the age of mā, vnto the foure seasons of the yeare: the tyme that he groweth, is like the Spring: the tyme of his strength, is the Sommer: the tyme that he begynneth to be wise, is like the Haruest, and his age is like wynter, which finisheth al things. Sweete are the say∣ings of old men, their counsel perfect, their gouernement sure. Oh howe frayle and weake is youth? howe ma∣ny Cities and Castles haue been brought to ruine tho∣row the coūsel of yong men? how many kingdomes haue beene subuerted through young mens counsel? Age is full of prouision, of sapi∣ence, of experience, and of studye. The Rule of a com∣mon weale dooth not onely consist in strength, but in the vertue of the mynde. A man is like an apple, that

is not ripe, but sowre, but be∣ing ripe, becommeth swee e: so a man buyng young, is furious and sowre, and wyll not bende, but being olde, is sweet, & humble toward al. Age hath no pleasure in this worlde, frequenteth not banquettes, abhorreth lust: that whiche pleaseth olde men, delighteth not young men: that whiche olde men knowe by experience, young men wyll not beleeue it, ney∣ther with vnderstandyng nor counsel. O howe much euyll hath ben don thorow youth? how many common Weales haue ben ouerthrowen? how many kingdomes subuerted, Princes betrayed, friendes de∣ceyued? Wherefore in my o∣pinion, we are better accept age, then youth.

Verily I beleeue so.