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.
- Title
- 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.
- Publication
- [Imprinted at London :: In Fletestreate, beneathe the conduyte, at the sygne of S. Iohn Euangeliste, by Thomas Colwell,
- [1565]]
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- Subject terms
- Conduct of life -- Early works to 1800.
- Link to this Item
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https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A16439.0001.001
- Cite this Item
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"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." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A16439.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 27, 2025.
Contents
- title page
- ¶These be the Auctoures of thys Booke.
- ¶The Prologue.
-
¶Here the Auctour sheweth, howe a
Man, (or a Woman) oughte to be
adorned with vertues. And how
that Prudence ought chiefly
and fyrste of all: Rule
and goue
the Creatures. ¶The fyrste Chapter. - ¶How Prudence, is cheefe buckler, & defence of all Vertues. And of the great goodnes, that may come of the same to all persons, after the auncyente Phylosophers. ¶The Second Chapter.
- ¶Exsample of the Vertue of Prudence. ¶The thyrde Chapter.
- a;Howe Follye is contrarie to Pru∣dence. And how Follye is deuided into manye partes of the man. Also the maner to know the Folie by his dedes, and the wyse man, by hys workes. ¶The .iiii. Chapter.
-
¶How temperaunce is one of the flo∣wers
of Prudence, And how he
that hath it in hym maye resiste
and withstande many euils
after the saienges of the
wise men, in y
e chapter going before. ¶The .v. Chapter. - ¶Howe distemperaunce is contrarie to temperaunce: And how it is the pryncypall cause of all euyll. ¶The .vi. Chapter.
- ¶Example of Dystemperaunce, ¶The .vii. Chapter.
- ¶How the auctour speaketh of Loue of Beneuolence, & of deliberacion And how of Loue he maketh foure Chapters, ¶The .viii. Chapter.
- ¶Howe the Loue of God, is the Loue aboue all Loues that durethe the longest. And that withoute the whyche the creatures can not be satysfyed nor contented. ¶The .ix. Chapter.
- ¶Howe the Loue of Father and Mo∣ther with other Parentes commeth, And what reuerence and honoure we oughte to geue to oure Father and Mother. And the maner to loue his wife & Chil∣dren. And to correct and leade them in thys world. ¶The .x. Chapter.
- ¶Of the Loue of Compaginons and Fryendes, and how to entertaine it, ¶The .xi. Chapter.
- ¶Howe the Loue of Concupyscece, commeth to Men and Women And of the daunger that doe chaunce and come of the same. ¶The .xii. Chapter.
- ¶Example of the Ver∣tue of Loue ¶The, xiii. Chapter.
- ¶Howe Enuye is contrarye to the Vertue of Loue. And what Euuye is, And also of the paine, that the enuyous man beareth in him selfe. ¶The .xiiii. Chapter.
- ¶Example of Enuy. ¶The .xv. Chapter.
- ¶Howe a man oughte to take Gladnesse and Ioye. And of what thynge. And what Gladnesse or Ioye is. ¶The .xvi. Chapter.
- ¶Howe Heuynesse is coutrarye to Gladnesse, And howe the Wyse Man oughte neuer to put any in his hearte, wherof He∣uynes and Mellan¦colly may be en∣gendred. ¶The .xvii. Chapter.
- ¶Howe Mellancholly is daungerous And what is Mellanchollye, And howe is causeth manye to fall in greate trauayle, pay∣nes and miseryes, and conseqent¦ly, in greate peuertie. ¶The .xviii. Chapter.
- ¶Example of Heauynesse, or Pensyuenesse. ¶The .xix. Chapter.
- ¶Howe the Vertue of Peace oughte to be mayntayned and keepte. And of the greate good∣nesse that commeth of the same, And what peace is. ¶The .xx. Chapter.
- ¶Howe Ire is contrarye to Peace, and what Ire is, And howe it dothe destroye and waste the Vertues and bodyes of them that he entangled wyth the same. And of the euyll that dothe come of it. ¶The .xxi. Chapter.
- ¶Example of Ire. ¶The .xxii. Chapter.
- ¶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.
- ¶Example of the Vertue of Chastytye, ¶The .xxiiii. Chapter.
- ¶Howe Lecherye is contrarye to Chastytie. And in howe many sor∣tes it is deuyded, then is shew∣ed the daungers that come therof, as wel to the bo∣dyes of men, as to theyr Soules. ¶The .xxv. Chapter.
- ¶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.
- ¶Howe Pacience causeth a man to beare easelye the Paines and Trauayles of this worlde, And howe many sortes there be of Pacience. ¶The .xxvii. Chapter.
- ¶Howe that Feare and Dread, be con¦trary to Strengthe and Vally∣antnesse, And what Feare is and who those be that be Fearefull. And for what cause. ¶The .xxviii. Chapter.
- ¶Of Suertye, and howe manye ma∣ners there is therof. And howe Feare and Suertie do striue togyther by dyuers Languages. ¶The .xxix. Chapter.
- ¶Howe the Wyse man oughte to doubte, And howe by doubt and Feare many times the men become Vertuous. ¶The .xxx. Chapter.
- ¶Howe good Fame oughte to go afore men, And of the goodnesse that com∣meth of the same. ¶The .xxxi. Chapter.
- ¶Howe Glotony is a daūgerous vice And of the greate euyll that com∣meth therof to the bodyes of men, And howe the Ver∣tues of men be distroy∣ed and corrupte by the same. ¶The .xxxii. Chapter.
- ¶Howe Abstynence is that wher∣of Glotonye is consumed. And by the goodnesse that is therin, And that maye come therof, ¶The, xxxiii. Chapter.
- ¶Howe Constancye and Inconstaū∣cye, be dyfferent, And howe Con∣staunce is a Noble Vertue. And what Incon∣stauncye is, ¶The .xxxiiii. Chapter.
- ¶Of the Vertue of Noblenesse of courage of men, And how the men be ofte tymes praysed by reason of the same. ¶The .xxxv. Chapter.
- ¶Example of Noblenesse of Courage. ¶The .xxxvi. Chapter.
- ¶Of Vain glorye, And howe manye maners there is therof, And howe Vaynglorye is to be dispraised, ¶The .xxxvii. Chapter.
- ¶Example of Vainglorye, ¶The .xxxviii. Chapter.
- ¶Howe Iustyce ought to be done And howe it is, that thynge that dothe measure all thynges vpon Earthe. ¶The .xxxix. Chapter.
- ¶Example of Iustyce. ¶The .xl. Chapter.
- Howe Iniustyce or wrong, is con¦trary to Iustyce, and howe manye maners there be of Iniustyce, And how Iniustice de¦maūdeth Ven∣geaunce a∣fore god. ¶The .xli. Chapter.
- ¶Example of Iniustyce. ¶The .xlii. Chapter.
- ¶Of Loyaltys, And by Loyal∣tye, the person is great∣lye, praysed, ¶The .xliii. Chapter.
- ¶Of Falsehed, what it is, And of the dyfference that is be∣tweene Suspycyon and Ielousy. And Treason and Malyce. ¶The .xliiii. Cpapter.
- ¶Example of Falsehed, ¶The .xlv. Chapter.
- ¶Howe Trueth is to be compared, by Reason to the Perdryche. And how Trueth is that thynge which iusty fyeth the man afore all persons ¶The .xlvi. Chapter.
- ¶Example of the Vertue of Verytye, ¶The .xlvii. Chapter.
- ¶Howe Lyenge is an euell vyce, the maners to eschew it, And in what sort, and which is euyl Lyenge. ¶The .xlviii. Chapter.
- ¶What Mercy is, and of the ope∣racyon of the same. And howe Mercye is that wherby a man obteyneth the Loue of God. ¶The .xlix. Chapter.
- ¶Example of Mercye. ¶The .l. Chapter.
- ¶Of Crualtye, And howe manye sortes be therof. And of the greate euylles and in∣conuenients, that bee done by Crualtie. ¶The .li. Chapter.
- ¶Of Lyberalytye, howe it is con∣trarye to Coueytousnesse, And how a man ought to be Liberall, & in what maner. ¶The .lii. Chapter.
- ¶Howe Coueytousnesse is a gre∣uous Vyce, Of the euylles that doe come therof. and of the Insasi¦atnes of the same. ¶The .liii. Chapter.
- ¶Of Humylytye, And in howe manye maners it is deuided. And of those thynges whiche dys∣cend of it. ¶The .liiii. Chapter.
- ¶Example of Humy∣lytye, ¶The .lv. Chapter.
- ¶Of Pryde, and of the vices that des∣cende aud come of the same, And how Pryde dyspleaseth god and the world, and how the proude person dothe torment hym selfe in thys world. ¶Thy. lvi. Chapter.
- ¶Howe a manne oughte to gouerne hym selfe, as well of the tongue, as of wyt and vnderstanding, for to speake well and wise∣lie to all folkes, and how by wordes a man is praysed or dis∣praysed. ¶The .lvii. Chapter.
- Here begynneth the Table of thys Booke.
- colophon