Of wisdome three bookes written in French by Peter Charro[n] Doctr of Lawe in Paris. Translated by Samson Lennard

IIII. Difficult and dangerous affaires.

IN difficult affaires, as in agreements, to be ouer-carefull to make them ouer-sure, is to make them lesse firme, lesse assu∣red, because a man employeth therein more time, more peo∣ple are hindred, more things, more clauses are mingled and interposed, than are needfull, from whence arise all differen∣ces. Adde heereunto, that a man seemeth heereby to scorne fortune, and to exempt himselfe from hir iurisdiction, which cannot be, vim suorum ingruentem refringi non vult. It is better to make them briefly and quietly with a little danger, than to be so exact and curious.

In dangerous affaires a man must be wise and couragious, he must foresee and know all dangers, make them neither lesse nor greater than they are by want of iudgement, thinke that they will not all happen, or shall not all haue their ef∣fects, that a man may auoid many by industrie or by dili∣gence, or otherwise; what they are from whom he may re∣ceiue aid and succour, and thereupon take courage, grow reso∣lute, not fainting for them in an honest enterprise. A wise man is couragious, for he thinketh, discourseth, and prepareth himselfe for all, and a couragious man must likewise be wise.