[Here begynneth the table of a book entytled the book of good maners.]

¶Here foloweth the thyrd vertu / whyche is abstynence / & how one ought to lyue sobrely capitulo ix

GLotonnye is cause of many euylles & synnes / and en∣gendreth many maladyes bodyly & ghoostly. And ther∣fore sayth tullius in his fyrst rethorique that attemperaūce is none other thyng but by rayson to maystrye the flessh and alle corrupt desyre. And saynt Ambrose sayth that attemperaunce is a vertue whyche ruleth a man in that. whyche he ought to to / And therfore the auncient men lyued right sobrely / And to this purpoos recounteth Egelle in his fyrst book / how Socra••••s was ryght sobre al his lyf. the whyche socrates sayd. that

the people ought not lyue for to ete. but to ete for to lyue. and lactence in his book of very odoracion sayth that the poetes cal¦leden glotonnye bestyalite. For a man beyng a gloton lyueth wythout reason & wythout rule. And therfore seneque in hys book of iiij vertues sayth that men shold ete without replecti∣on. and drynke wythout dronkenesse. For glotonnye ma∣keth a man lyghtly to falle in to lecherye / and to this purpoos recounteth saynt Ierome ayenst Ionynyan. how galyen sayd that a man may not surely lyue. but yf he lyue sobrely. the whyche thynge is veray truthe / not onely to the body. but also to the sowle / And therfor socrates ete not but one tyme of the day whan the sonne wente doun as recounteth agelle in the book aforsayd. And Bocee in the second book of consolacyon sayth that nature is contente wyth lytel thynge / as who shold say that nature requyreth sobrenes and abstynence. & to thys purpoos recounteth valere in his second book and sayth that the auncyent olde men lyued ryght sobrely to thende that they shold be chaste / in so moche that the women of Rome dranke noo wyn for the same cause / And agelle in his book aforesayd recyteth ••ow the romayns lyued ryght sobrely & syngulerly at souper. for thēne they ete lytel or nought. More ouer didim{us} in wrytyng to Alysaunder sayth that the peple of his contreye were ryght / sobre and toke noo refection but after reason and after the necessyte of nature. And concluded fynably that they of the sayd contrey had comunely no maladyes. ne vsed none other medecyne but of sobrenes & of abstynēce. By the whiche thynges it apperyth / to lyue sobrely is a thyng moche prouffy table to the soule & to the body-and by sobrenes the body hath helth. and the soule lyueth wythout synne. And therfore sayth Lucan that a man ought to accustome hym to gyue to na∣ture attemperaunce. and for to attempre his norysshyng. the whyche ought to be wythout oultrage. and without dron∣kennesse. For glotonnye is not allone. but hath al way ma∣ny synnes wyth hym. & certeynly by glotonnye a man leseth

his wytte & vnderstōdyng. and sheweth ofte his secrete folye / glo••••••nye maketh a man olde / and sone to become loothely & soul. And by dronkenes many stryues & noyses sourden & co∣men / & maketh a man to be lyke a dombe beest / For as gaul∣ter sayth in hys fyrst book of alexandeidos. dronkenshyp is the sepulcre of rayson. And Ouyde in his second book of remedye of loue sayth / that dronkenshyp buryeth the courage & wylle of a man. For by dronkenes a man bycometh as deed & is of all poyntes not able to do wel. And therfore eche of vs ouʒt dyligētly teschewe glotonye / for that is the vyce by the which the fende ouercometh a man and warryth ayenst hym. for of this synne he tempted our fyrst fader Adam. by whiche fyna∣bly he was put oute of paradys. as it apperyth the iij chapytre of genesis. Semblably he wold haue tempted our sauyour Ihesu cryste sayeng to hym / yf thou be the sone of god. make of these stones breed. as it is writon the iij chapytre of the gos¦pel of saynt Mathew / More ouer glotonnye maketh a man leche••ous. And herof we haue example of loth. the whiche by dronkenesse defowled and brought his owen two doughters wyth chylde. as it is wryton for ix chapytre of genesis / Glo∣tonnye also maketh a man dyshonoured / And herof we haue example by Noe. the whyche in his dronkenes laye shame∣fully on the grounde and shewed his membres of nature. by whyche he was scorned of his sone Cham as it is wryten in the viij chapytre of genesis. Alas by glotōnye the chyldren of Israel were somtyme tempted & gretely deceyued as it appe¦ryth the xvj chapytre of exode. And by glotonnye Esau solde his patrymonye as it apperyth the xxv chapytre of genesis. Rede we not more ouer how Ionathas was condempned to deth. for as moche as he ete a lytel hony ayenst the comande∣ment of hys fader as is wryton the fyrst book of kynges the xiiij chapytre / By whyche it apperyth that glo••onnye hath 〈◊〉〈◊〉 moche harme. And certaynly we rede that the phylystees were slayn in etyng and drynkyng. For the hows fyl vpon

hem as it apperyth the xvij chapytre of Iudicū. Semblably hit happed to the chyldren of Iob as it apperyth the fyrst chapy¦tre of Iob. How was holofernes the stronge geant slayn. but in his drūkenesse. for Iudith slewe hym whā he was dronke as it is wryton the x chapytre of Iudyth. How was symon slayn & his chyldren but in etyng and drynkyng as it appe∣ryth the fyrst book of machabees the xv chapytre. And naman after that he had eten gretely and Ioyously / he was after 〈◊〉〈◊〉 cylyed as it is wreton the ix chapytre of hester ¶Thenne me semeth that glotonnye is a synne chargeable and causyng a man to do many euylles.