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 Falsehed, what it is, And of the dyfference that is be∣tweene Suspycyon and Ielousy. And Treason and Malyce. ¶The .xliiii. Cpapter. (Book 44)

FAlsehed is a Vice, contrary to Facultie, and it is to say or thinke a thing contrarie to his wil, and to haue desyre to do the contrarye of that thynge, that he saythe.

¶Salomon saythe,* 1.1 be not conuer∣sante with a false person, for he can¦not loue that thynge that pleaseth hym.

¶Senec saith,* 1.2 that when any In¦iurye, or wronge is done or saide to a false man, he feyneth him selfe, as he dyd not care for it, to the in∣tent that he may the more craftelie and falslie, venge him therof.

¶Saynt Thomas sayth,* 1.3 that the suspycyon of the manne is knowen in foure maners. The Fyrste is, the euyll person thynkethe, that

all other be all euyll as he is. The Seconde is that a manne doth al∣wayes suspecte that person, why∣che hathe accustomed to doe euyll. The Thyrde is when a man hea∣reth euyll spoken of another, the whyche he wolde euill, he beleueth it incontynente. The Fourthe is when a man hathe proued manye thynges.

¶Arystotyle saythe,* 1.4 the olde per∣sones for the moste parte doe verye lyghtlye suspecte, because that they haue proued many thyngs in their tyme.

¶Salomon saith,* 1.5 the euil though¦tes doe cause the person to departe from God.

¶Plato saythe,* 1.6 that the fyrste mo∣uinge of the thought, be not in our power, the whych we ought wel to tesyste.

¶The Decre saythe,* 1.7 that the

flesshe can not be corrupte, if the thoughte be not corrupt afore. And sayth, that the person can not haue agreater euyll, then to be suspec∣tinge.

¶Alexandre saythe,* 1.8 when thou bast consyence, and truste in anye man, thou oughte not to suspecte hym, except manyfestlye thou fynde that thynge in hym, whereby thou maye haue suspycon, for the suspi∣cyon that thou shoulde haue there, shoulde cause thee to be moued to doe euyll. There is dyfference be∣twene Suspectyon & Ielousye. For Suspectyon is to beleue euyll of a∣nother man, (as it is aforesayde.) Ialousye is to haue feare of that thynge the whyche a man loueth, doe no otherwyse then it ought to doe. Ielousie dyscendeth of the ver¦tue of Loue. For no person can bee Ielous, but for two reasons. The

one is for the feare that a mā hath that the thing which a man loueth do not otherwyse, then ought to be done. And the other is that it be not the dyshonoure of the person which a man loueth.

¶Iuuenall saythe,* 1.9 that the Ialou sye of a woman is verye greate, for she can not loue the person whyche she knoweth doth loue her husbād.

¶Plato sayth,* 1.10 that perfyte loue is in three thynges, that is to saye, to loue, to feare, and to honoure.

¶Socrates saith that person that loueth,* 1.11 feareth. But al those which doe feare, doe not loue. And saithe, that the person which loueth, hath alwayes feare of that thynge why∣che he loueth. There is dyfference betweene Treason and Malyce. Treason is properlie to betraye, by malyce, the person which doth put his trust in thee. Malice is to Ima¦gyne

some thyng for to deceiue and ther man.

¶Longin saith that in a Traiter,* 1.12 the loue is vice.

¶Saynte Austyne saithe that the Trayter doth neuer swage nor my tygate hym selfe,* 1.13 for famylyarytye, nor for pouertie, nor for eatyng and drinkinge, nor for seruyce, nor for giftes.

¶Sainte Paule maketh mencyon therof sayenge.* 1.14

¶Erunt hamines cupidi, elati, super∣vi, proditores, proterui tumidi.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Sala¦mon
• * 1.2

  Senec
• * 1.3

  S, tho∣mas.
• * 1.4

  Aristo∣tyle,
• * 1.5

  Sala¦mon
• * 1.6

  Plato,
• * 1.7

  Decre,
• * 1.8

  Alexan∣dre.
• * 1.9

  Iuue∣nall,
• * 1.10

  Plato,
• * 1.11

  Socra∣tes,
• * 1.12

  Lon∣gyn,
• * 1.13

  S. Au∣stine.
• * 1.14

  Paule,