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

¶How the prynces ought to be of good maners cap^o. ij

SOlinus sayth ī his xj boke the iiij chapytre the prīce ought to be meure. sage / & of right good lyf. & certay¦nly the Anncyent fadres byhelde more bounte. than the no noblesse or the Rychesse. And to this purpoos recounteth valere in his

iiij boke the in chapitre how Actylius was a labourer of the londe. And neuertheles for hys bounte he was callyd for to be emperour of Rome. And saynt Austyn in hys v boke of the cyte of god the xviij chapytre recyteth how one quyncy{us} why¦che was a symple labourer was semblably callyd for to be of the counsyel of Rome / And whau he sawe that he had serued ynowh / and that by hys counseyl Rome had had many vyc∣toryes thenne he retorned to hys fyrst estate. Thenne me se∣meth that the prynces oughten more to take hede to bounte thā to worldly goodes / & to thys purpoos we rede how the Ro∣mayns sette nothyng but of thē that were vertuous. & veryli the Romayns refuseden yeftes And alle thynges that myght peruerte Instyce / and acordyug herto reconnteth pompeus in hys xviij boke how kynge pyrrus sente to Rome one hys ser∣uant named chyneas for to conferme the peas bytwene hym and the Romayns And bare grete yeftes and richesses with hym. but he fonde not a man in Rome that wold receyue his yeftes / Thēne me semeth that prynces and lordes oughten more to be dylygent to haue vertues than Richesses / And to thys purpoos seynt Austyn ī hys fyfthe boke of the cyte of god the xiiij chapytre aledgeth Cathon the whiche sayde that the comyn wele of Rome had conquerd moo goodes by the boun¦te of the counseyllours than by strengthe. And to this same purpos he recyteth of Scypion. the whyche sayde that the Roia¦me shall neuer be in welthe. in whyche bē noo good maners & in whome the prynces bē not vertuo{us}. wherfor seynt Austin sayth yf the Romayns be deceyued it is not for defaute of wal¦les. but for deffanlte of maners & more harme hath doō to thē the ardeur of theyr couetise that the fire hath doō whyche hath bē putte ī theyr cōtreyes by theyr ad••saryes. & ther fore sayth saluste / that Rome shal but lytyl endure. For coueytyle wa••••∣yth all. & lecherye brēneth all. More oner Orace sayth in one of his dytees. that a prīce euyl manerd causeth the cōtreye for to perysshe. For as Claudyā sayth. the people gladly folowe

the prīce & dooth as he dooth. & therfore yf he be euyll yt ys gret∣peryll for alle hys subiettys. & ther fore seneque in hys hon∣dryd epystle ī spekyng to Alexandre saide. O Alexander. thou hast ouercomen thyn aduersaryes and conquerd many lord∣shyppes and royames Thou hast enterprysed the gouernance of alle Royāmes / & neuertheeles thou art he that hast not cōne gouerne thy soule ne thy body whych ys moche lytyll / Thus thēne ought a prynce to fore alle thyng gete to hym good ma¦ners for to gyue good example to alle them that ben in hys gouernance. & for taduyse the better thys purpoos it ys good to reherce the cōdycōns and the Incōuenyeuces of enyl prīces Ne Rede we not how Ezechyas cōmanded that Ieremye the {pro}phete shold be slayn. as it ys ys wretō ī Iheremie the xxxviij chapitre. And Pylate falseli dampned Ihū Cryste as yt appe¦ryth the xix chapytrē of saynt Iohn̄ / who fynably deyde myse∣rably. More ouer manasses made the peple to erre. And was cause of many euyllys and vyces / And therfore he was pug∣nysshed. And Roboas was to hys people ouer rygorous and sharpe / And therfore he loste ten trybus & hys seynorye as yt apperyth the iij boke of kynges Saul also was an euyl pryn∣••••. & therfore god wolde that the fortune of bataylles shold•• contrarye to hym. as yt ys wreton the fyrst boke of kynges. Thenne euery prynce ought to gete good maners. yf he wyl∣holde hys seynorye to the prouffyt of hys soule /