The boke of wisdome otherwise called the flower of vertue. Folowing the auctorities of auncient doctours [and] philosophers, deuiding and speaking of vices [and] vertues, wyth many goodly examples wherby a man may be praysed or dyspraysed, wyth the maner to speake well and wyselie to al folkes, of what estate so euer they bee. Translated first out of Italion into French, [and] out of french into English, by Iohn Larke. 1565.

¶Of Chastytie, and howe she oughte to be wyth holden, obserued and kepte, and the perylles that the wyse shoulde flye, for feare to lease such Vertue. ¶The .xxiii. Chapter. (Book 23)

CHastytie.* 1.1 (As Tulle saythe,) is a Vertue by the whych the wil & desyre of the flesshe

and of Lecherye is refrayned and subdued. And the person that is chaste, maye be compared to the Turtyll Doue, the whyche for no maner of thynge, wyll make a faute or offence to her felowe, but wyll kepe her onely vnto hym.

¶Saynte Hierome saythe,* 1.2 that is soone loste and destroyed in him which wil not refraine his tongue, hys eyes, and hys harte. In the Summe of Vyces, it is redde, that he whyche wyll haue perfyte Cha∣stytye in hym, he muste keepe hym selfe pryncypallye from syxe thyn∣ges, that is to saye, from to muche and excessyfe Eatynge, and Prince∣kynge, wherof is redde, in the lyfe of Holye Fathers,* 1.3 that in lyke case as it is impossyble, to wythholde the fire, that it do make no flambe, after that it is well lyghted, so it is impossyble to refrayne the wil and

the desyre of Lecherye, after that the bodye is replete and full of de∣lycious meates and drynckes. The Seconde thynge whyche is neces∣sary, to kepe Chastytie is, that the person be not Idle.

¶For Ouide sayth,* 1.4 that Lecherye dyeth in hym whyche is not Idle, the thyrde thynge is that the man and the woman be not conuersant togyther.

¶For Saynte Bernarde saethe,* 1.5 that the man and the woman to be famylyer togyther, and to kepe them from synne, is a greater and a harder thynge, then to cause the dead bodyes to ryse agayne to life. The fourthe thynge is, not to be conuersante wyth Harlottes and persons of vycyous lyuinge. The fyfte is, not to haunte or to goo to those places where commonly the synne of Lecherye is vsed.

¶For Saynte Syluestre saythe,* 1.6 that the synne of Lecherye hathe the maner of the Ape-whych doth all thynges that he seeth done a∣fore hym. The syxte is, to kepe hym that he doe not haunte to much create festes and bankets, for there is moste commonlye muche daun∣synge and syngynge, manye euyl∣and vayne wordes spoken, and manye wanton counte naunces, whyche dothe engendre the Vyce of Lecherye, by the pleasure and delyght that the person doth take therein, I saye that the delyght and pleasure whyche is in good maner, and in honestye, is much to be prai∣sed, but the delyghte and pleasure, that the persō doth take therein, for an euill intente is to be hated and abhorred.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Tulle.
• * 1.2

  S, Hic rome,
• * 1.3

  Exam∣ple
• * 1.4

  Ouide
• * 1.5

  S, ber∣narde,
• * 1.6

  S, sil∣uestre,