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 Lyberalytye, howe it is con∣trarye to Coueytousnesse, And how a man ought to be Liberall, & in what maner. ¶The .lii. Chapter. (Book 52)

LYberalytye after Aristotile,* 1.1 is larg¦nesse, or it is to gyue commyssy∣on to worthy per∣sons, for that whi¦che

is gyuen to vnworthy persons, is loste. And to gyue to them why∣che hathe inoughe, is to caste wa∣ter in the Sea. And to gyue more then a man may beare, it is not Li∣berlytye, but it is Prodygalytye. It is redde in the Summe of Vy∣ces, that Prodygalytye is to spend hys owne wythout measure or rea¦son. And therfore in the Lawe, the Prodygall persones, be called Foo∣les. Yet notwythstandyng, Couey∣tousnesse is of lesse profyte then pro¦dygalytye after Saynte Thomas.* 1.2 whych doth proue it by three rea∣sons. The fyrste is that the offyce of Prodygalytye, dothe accord bet∣ter wyth Vertue of Lyberalytye, whyche is to gyue, then dothe Co∣ueytousnesse, which is to hold. The second is, y^t the prodigall person is more profytable to other, then the Coueytous Person is. The thyrde

reason is, that the Prodygal per∣son dothe sooner amende and for∣sake his vice of Prodigalitye, then the auaricious person his coueitous¦nes, of Prodigalitie discendeth po∣uertye.

¶And Iob saythe,* 1.3 that pouertye is heauynesse of hearte, shame and dysprayse, and roote of al euyl. The Vertue of Lyberlyty, may be cō∣pared to y^e Egle, which is the most lyberall Byrde that is, for if he be neuer so hungrye yet wyll he leaue the halfe of hys praye, to them that come after hym. A man lightly can¦not see the Egle flye in sekinge his praye, but there is alwaies some o∣ther fowle that dothfolow him, for to haue parte of that the Egle shal leue.

¶Salomon speakynge of Lybera∣lytie saythe,* 1.4 that if thou doe a good dede, consydre to whom thou doest

it, for almos dothe quenche and kil syn, in lyke case as the fyre is quen∣ched wyth water.

¶Alexandre saythe gyue,* 1.5 and ano∣ther shal gyue vnto thee. And that that thou wylte gyue, gyue it incon¦tynente, and wythoute anye dyf∣ferrynge. For as the wyse manne saythe in the Prouerbes. The Al∣mous whyche is longe dyfferred and loked for, is not gyuen, but it is solde.

¶Cato saythe,* 1.6 consydre to whom thou gyueste. And take hede that when thou wylte demaunde anye thynge, that it be iuste and ryght∣full, for it is a great folie to demaūd a thyng vnreasonable. And such a thing wherof he shalbe lyghtlye de¦nyed.

¶Senec saithe,* 1.7 that a man ought more to consydre and regarde the wyll of hym that dothe gyue, then

that thinge whiche is geuen. And he whych demaundeth anye thing with feare, gyueth occasyon to bee denyed.

¶Plato saythe,* 1.8 that there is no greater heauynesse in the worlde, then to demaund that thyng wher with a man ought to liue. And say∣the, that pouertye is a verye euyll thinge. but it is a greater euyll for a man to doe euyll by reason of the same.

¶Tulle saithe,* 1.9 that there is not a more cōfortable & sweter thyng in the world, then for a man to lyue of hys owne, and to haue Lybertye. And saythe, that he whiche is con∣tente with that thinge he hathe, is not poore.

¶Sidrac saithe,* 1.10 beware of pouer∣tie, when thou shall haue haboun∣daunce of riches, for in a lytle space, the tyme doth chaunge.

¶Innocent saithe,* 1.11 that it is great pytie of the misery of the pore man, for if he demaunde, he consumeth him selfe in pouertie.

¶Salomon saythe,* 1.12 that when a man is poore, his brethren do dysa∣lowe and renounce him, and hys fryendes doth flye & goo from him.

¶Salomon prayeng to almightie God saith.* 1.13 Good lord I pray thee, graunt me two thinges, the one is that thou defend me from pouerty, the other is, that thou giue me not so much riches, that I do disknow¦ledge and forget thee, by reason of the same. He saith that Auaryce is contrary to pouertie, for if the rych man doe speake, euerye man dothe gyue hym audience, albeit that he speake much euil & many folish wor¦des. And the pore mā, do he speake neuer so well, yet shall he not be re∣garded, but shalbe reproued, and shalbe cōstrained to hold his peace.

¶Plato saythe,* 1.14 it is better for a man to leue his rychesse after hys death, to hys ennemies, then to de¦maund in hys lyfe by reason of po∣uertye helpe of hys fryendes.

¶Verro saythe, that the Ryche man dothe not gette hys Rychesse wythoute Trauayle.* 1.15 nor dothe kepe them without Feare, nor doth not leaue them withoute, Sorowe and Greefe.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Aristo∣tyle,
• * 1.2

  S, tho∣mas.
• * 1.3

  Iob,
• * 1.4

  Salo∣mon,
• * 1.5

  Alex∣andre.
• * 1.6

  Cato,
• * 1.7

  Senec,
• * 1.8

  Plato.
• * 1.9

  Tulle,
• * 1.10

  Sidrac
• * 1.11

  Inno¦cent,
• * 1.12

  Sala∣mon,
• * 1.13

  Salo∣mon,
• * 1.14

  Plato,
• * 1.15

  Verro.