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.

¶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. (Book 2)

PRudence called good Wys∣dome, discrecion, and saige∣nes, be in. iii. maners & sor∣tes, after the sayenge of Tulle,* 1.1 the first is memory that is to say, remē∣braūce of things passed. The secōd is, to know that thing that a man hath to do, the good from the euyl, & the truth from the falsehed. The thirde is prouydence or prouysion, that is to say, for the time to come, of that thinge that a man hath to do. And these iii. vertues be formed and ruled, by two other, that is to say, Counsayle and dylidence.

¶Aristotyle saythe that counsayle,* 1.2 is a certayn inquysicyon proceding from one thynge to another, dyly∣gence, is for to haue care and re∣garde vnto the thynge that a man hath to doe. And these two Ver∣tues that is to say Dylygence and Prudence may be compared to the Ante, the whyche is a lytle Beaste hauing great solycytude and care, to gatherin Sommer that thyng whearevpon he maye lyue in Win∣ter, remembrynge hym selfe of the time passed, knowing the time pre∣sente. And prouydynge for the time to come.

¶Salamon saythe that the Ante hath suche maner in him selfe,* 1.3 that all the grayn and corne that he ga∣thereth to gyther in the Sōmer, for hys lyuinge in the Wynter, he dothe cleaue it by the myddes, to the intente that it doe not burgen

and sprynge.

¶Dauyd saythe that the begyn∣nynge* 1.4 of Wysdome is to feare and dreade God.

¶Salamon sayth that Wysdome is better and more worth,* 1.5 then the ryches of the worlde, for no ryches maie be compared to saygenes and Wysdome.

¶Tulle saythe that the wyse man* 1.6 oughte neuer to saye I wolde not haue thought it that suche a thing shoulde haue chaunced so, for the wyse man dothe not doubte, but hath alwaies a sure trust, and doth prouyde for daungers to come.

¶Sydrac sayth that good wynes* 1.7 and meates comforts and reioyces the body of man, but aboue al thin¦ges saygenes and wysdome dothe reioyce it.

¶Senec dothe saye,* 1.8 if I had one foote in my graue, yet wolde I be

glad to learne Wysdome.

¶Tulle saythe that he whiche is wyse,* 1.9 can neuer lacke nor haue gre∣ate nede, nor shall not suffre in any maner. And saithe moreouer that he is wyse that knoweth him selfe.

¶Aristotyle saythe,* 1.10 that the wyse man goeth alwayes armed in hys thought & remēbraunce againste e∣uery man. And saith also, y^t he is a fole that thinketh that fortune and chaūce doth giue ether good or euil but that wysdome giue it.

¶Bracco saythe that the key of Seuerytie is the thoughte.* 1.11 And therfore the olde mynde and tho∣ughte causeth oft tymes to erre.

¶Alexandre sayth,* 1.12 a y^t man ought to haue in his minde and remem∣braunce in the nyghte, that thinge that he muste do in the daye.

¶Salamon sayth,* 1.13 do all thinges by counsaile, and thou shalt not re∣pente

thee therof.

¶Pythagoras sayth that there is no counsayle so good and faithfull,* 1.14 as is the counsaile whych is giuen in the Sea, whyles a manne is in daunger and perylll.

¶Socrates sayth that a man go∣uerned by the counsayle of yonge folkes,* 1.15 hath for the moste part, euil chaunce and fortune. And saith al∣so that there be iii. thinges contra∣ry to good counsayle, thai is to say, hastines, Ire, and couetousnes.

¶Iuuenall saith,* 1.16 do not shewe thy mind and wil, but to him of whom thou wilte aske counsayle, for gene∣rallye euery man doth counsayle y^t thing which he seith doth please.

¶Senec saythe,* 1.17 when thou wylte go to demaunde counsayle of anye man, see fyrste howe he dothe go∣uerne hym selfe.

¶Plato saithe,* 1.18 that scyence with∣out

regard and solycytude of expe∣ryence is lytie worthe, of whom it was demaunded howe and wher∣by a wyse man myght be knowen. And he aunswered that the wit of man sheweth it whē he hath great & dyuers trybulacyons, and dothe ouerpasse them mekely and in good pacience. The good Maryner kno∣weth hym selfe in fortūes, for euery Maryner in a meeke and peasable tyme can saile & gouerne the shyp.

¶Also Plato saythe that the wyse* 1.19 man doth know hym selfe when he is not angry nor moued for no ma∣ner of iniuryes done vnto hym, nor when he dothe not gloryfye hym selfe, to here and vnderstande hym lauded and praysed, moreouer he saythe that there be three thyn∣ges, that maketh a man to bewise.

¶The Fyrste is to reade manye good Bookes. The Second, to go

into diuers Countreys, to heare muche of the dedes of other men.

¶Iuuenall saythe,* 1.20 thou haste got∣ten great dygnytie, if Prudence be in thee, for he is verye happie that can know the ende of causes.

¶Boecius sayth,* 1.21 that it is not suf∣fyciente to knowe the thynges as a man dothe see them before hym, but Prudence is that whych doth measure the ende of all thynges, it was demaunded of a wyse man, howe a man shoulde behaue hym selfe, and what he should doe, that he shoulde not haue neede of anye man. And he aunswered that if a man be ryche, let hym lyue measu∣rablye, and temperatelye. And if he be pore, let him labour diligent∣lye. And so he shall lyue withoute daunger, for dyligence is the mo∣ther of Rychesse. And saythe that he oughte not to be called Ryche,

whych gathereth muche Rychesse and gooddes togither, but he whi∣che doth spende them with reason. And saythe also that there is no greatter Treasoure in the worlde then wyt and discrecyon.

¶Socrates saythe that Scyence is gotten by dilygence of man,* 1.22 but Prudence and Wysdome, is the gyfte of God, and amongest all o∣ther gyftes the moste excellente.

¶Hermes saithe also that there is no greater treasure in this world,* 1.23 then wyt and discrecyon, nor grea∣ter pouertye then ignoraunce, nor better friendes then to haue good custome and maners. And saythe also that when a man is olde, eue∣rye manne can dysprayse hys Ver∣tues, and note and marke hys Vy∣ces. And saythe moreouer that he that wyll flye dyshonour & shame let hym flye and anoyde the occa∣syons.* 1.24

Also he sayth that the wyse man oughte not to remembre that thing that he hath lost, but ought to thynke and remembre howe too keepe surelye that thynge that he hathe. There camme once a wyse man, (a kynsman of hys) and pray∣ed hym that it woulde please hym to lende hym a certayne summe of money: the which (wyse man) auns∣wered, truelye my friende I shall not be so euyll contente wyth thee, if I doe not lende thee, as I shall be if I lende thee, for afterward I woulde recouer it of thee, and par∣aduenter I can not.

¶Plato sayth that Prudence and wysdome,* 1.25 dothe decorate and ad∣orne the rychesse of man. And saith also that the Prudente and Wyse man, dothe not feare deathe, for Prudence gouerneth hys vnder∣standynge, hys tonge is the voyce

of trueth, hys hearte is good wyll, pytie and mercye be hys armures. And also to seeke the wyse men, is Wysdome and Prudence, his pow∣er and auctoryte is Iustyce, hys reygne is measure, hys laude and prayse is peace, hys workes be sal∣uacyon, hys chyualrye or Knyghte∣head is the counsayle of wyse men, hys apparell is pacyence, hys trea∣soure is dyscyplyne or doctrine, the cōpany of good persons is his loue. And al his desire is to flie from sin, and to serue God, and to haue hys Faythe and truste in him, for with∣oute that, no man can please God. As saythe Saynte Paule.

Sine fine impossile est placere Deo.

* 1.26

Notes

• * 1.1

  Tulle.
• * 1.2

  Aristo¦tyle.
• * 1.3

  Sala∣mon.
• * 1.4

  Dauid.
• * 1.5

  Sala∣mon.
• * 1.6

  Tulle.
• * 1.7

  Sidrac.
• * 1.8

  Senec.
• * 1.9

  Tulle.
• * 1.10

  Aristo∣tyle.
• * 1.11

  Bracco
• * 1.12

  Alexan¦dre.
• * 1.13

  Sala∣mon.
• * 1.14

  Pitha∣goras.
• * 1.15

  Socra∣tes.
• * 1.16

  Iuue∣nall.
• * 1.17

  Senec
• * 1.18

  Plato.
• * 1.19

  Plato.
• * 1.20

  Iuue∣nall.
• * 1.21

  Boeci∣us.
• * 1.22

  Socra∣tes.
• * 1.23

  Her∣mes.
• * 1.24

  Note.
• * 1.25

  Plato.
• * 1.26

  Hebre xi. c.