Here begynneth a ryght frutefull treatyse, intituled the myrrour of good maners co[n]teynyng the .iiii. vertues, called cardynall, compyled in latyn by Domynike Mancyn: and translate into englysshe: at the desyre of syr Gyles Alyngton knyght: by Alexander Bercley prest and monke of Ely.

¶ Of honeste in〈…〉〈…〉

* 1.1

¶ Kepe secrete thy membres / of vnclenlynesse Whiche are in place secrete / of euery creature Wherin very nature / is vnto the maistresse Hydyng them in places: hyd / couered / and obscure A dysgysed Jougler / or vyle iester vnpure Is nat so foule rybaude / but that in test or game His membres he hydeth / for drede of opyn shame

And therfore apperyng / all naked in a play* 1.2 If his parte so requyre / presented for to be He kepeth his foule partes hyd / in a brake alway Nat shewyng what nature / hath set in pryuete Suffer nat thy selfe / be more shamelesse than he Whiche without all blames / may boldly play his parte Honest or dishonest: after his raylyng arte

Nor gyue thou nat credence / to suche people vnpure* 1.3 Whiche openly conioyned / as dogges without shame Cōmytteth nought vnclenly / belongyng to nature And all wordes honest / whiche any man may name Ense we nat this vyle sect / nor thynke thou nat this same But what nature chargeth: that worke thou priuely Nor speke nat vyle wordes / before men openly

Abstayne from vyle wordes / in speche and cōmunyng* 1.4 Whan thou hast to cōmon / of thyng of grauyte For oft tyme vyle wordes / corrupteth good lyueng And are thou shamefast lyfe / nat small difformyte But whan thou must in speche / touche of necessite Suche matters vnclenly / vse circumlocucion And let thy mynde and tonge / be honest all season

For foule wordes spoken / oft tyme doth reason blynde* 1.5 And doth both the spekers: with vyle thoughtes inflame And herers in entryng / the secretes of the mynde And where it erst was quyet / they trouble sore the mynde Wherfore flye suche wordes / whiche soūdeth vnto shame As thou woldest auoyde / vyle place or thyng that stynke Or as thou wolde esche we / assymy slypper brynke

For lyke as yll sauers / hurteth the heed and brayne* 1.6 And as slypper patthes / cast men ofte to the grounde Ryght so suche vyle wordes / doth good maners distayne And persuyng quyete myndes / with hyd & secrete wounde Both thought / wordes / & lyueng / vtterly confounde And brefely to conclude / the lyfe of euery age May clerely be iuged / by iesture and langage

Notes

• * 1.1

  Turpia naturae ••••lacis membra verendae. Nā natura: teg••s illa: magistratua est.
• * 1.2

  Histrio. q̲ in scaenā va∣dit: sibi subligat aptat: Ne {pro}dat quicquid lex verecunda tegit. Ne igiur tuleris: {quam} te verecundior is sit Scaenicus: impune cui licet esse malo.
• * 1.3

  Nec cynicis credas qui bus o••a noia honesta. Turpia sed caueas di∣cere verba palam.
• * 1.4

  Turbibus abstineas di∣ctis grauiora locutus. Turpia iacturam dicta pudoris habent. Sit tibi circuitus: cum dicere postulat vsus. M••s etenim: & lingua: debet honesta loqui.
• * 1.5

  Turpia nā subeūt dic∣ta ad penetralia mētis Solicitan{que} animū quē tenet alta quies. Tam{que} ea tu spernas: {quam} res male spernis olētes Quam spernis lubricū progrediendo locum.
• * 1.6

  Nā quod olet: nare•• lae dit via lubrica plantas Sed leedunt mores tur∣pia verba bonos.