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 Force or Strengthe. And what it is. The maners and comparysons of the same, And who maye be cal∣led Stronge. And of those also whi¦ch be alwaies Stronge. ¶The .xxvi. Chapter. (Book 26)

FOrce or Strengthe, after the sayenge of Macrobyus,* 1.1 is in three maners and sortes. The Fyrste is to be Stronge by Nature, the whyche thynge is no Vertue. The Second is not to Fere and Dread peryllous, and daūgerous things. And the Third is Pacience, these two maners be good,

¶Tulle saythe,* 1.2 thou oughte to be strong in Battaile, And to sustaine and suffre pacyentlye the aduersy∣ties, and euyle that come vnto the.

¶Senec saythe, that the man is loued and praised for hys Loyaltie or Faythfulnesse,* 1.3 and for his Val∣liauntnesse.

¶Socrates saythe,* 1.4 that sometime it is better to ••tye, then to dye, not∣wythstandynge thee, that Hermes sayth,* 1.5 that he dyd see a Knyghte, whyche was reputed verye hardy, thou doeste flye from Honorable deathe, to lyue with shame and re∣buke.

And Socrates saith,* 1.6 that there is Valliantnesse in dyuers and ma∣nye sortes and maners, that is to saye of those whyche be hardie and Vallyante, when they be constray∣ned other to fight or to dy, as those whyche doe fyghte vpon the Sea in theyr Shyppes. And this Valli¦antnesse is by force and constraint Another maner there is, that som∣tyme a man is hardye and Vally ante, as when that he knoweth that he hath the ayde and compa∣nye of other. Of other therbe, whi∣che he hardye and Vallyant when

they knowe, y^t those agaynste whō they doe stryue, be Cowardes and ferefull, of other there be, whych be stourdye and hardy in all thynges, and feareth nothynge. And thys is a beastlye hardynesse. And also all the other be not perfyte. The Fyrste maner is perfyte and Ver∣tuous, as when a man is Hardye and Vallyaunte to flye shame and dyshonoure. And to do no domage nor outrage to anye person, nother in body nor goodes. And also to de∣fende hys Countrey.

¶Socrates saythe,* 1.7 that the Ver∣tue of Force or Strength, maketh the man pardurable when he doth put hys strengthe to resyste Vyces, to mayntayne reason and Iustice, And not to be proude in his prospe¦rytyes. And also to Fyghte against the desyres of the flesshe.

¶Saynte Iohn Euangelyst saith

in hys fyrste Epystle.

¶Scribo vobis inuenes quoneam* 1.8 fortes estis verbum dei manet et in lyste. vobis et vicistis malignum.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Macro¦bius,
• * 1.2

  Tulle,
• * 1.3

  Senec
• * 1.4

  Socra¦tes,
• * 1.5

  Her∣mes,
• * 1.6

  Socra¦tes,
• * 1.7

  Socra¦tes,
• * 1.8

  Iohn euāge lyste.