The works of our ancient, learned, & excellent English poet, Jeffrey Chaucer as they have lately been compar'd with the best manuscripts, and several things added, never before in print : to which is adjoyn'd The story of the siege of Thebes, by John Lidgate ... : together with The life of Chaucer, shewing his countrey, parentage, education, marriage, children, revenues, service, reward, friends, books, death : also a table, wherein the old and obscure words in Chaucer are explained, and such words ... that either are, by nature or derivation, Arabick, Greek, Latine, Italian, French, Dutch, or Saxon, mark'd with particular notes for the better understanding of their original.

A Ballad of good counsail, tran∣slated out of Latin verses into English by Dan John Lidgate, cleped the Monk of Bury.

COnsider well every circumstaunce, Of what estate ever thou bee, Riche, strong, or mighty of puissance, Prudent or wise, discrete or besie, The dome of folkes in soch thou may not fly, * What ever thou doest trust well this, A wicked tonge woll alway deme amis.

For in thy porte or in apparaile, If thou be cladde and honestly be saine, Anone the people of malice woll not faile, Without advice or reason for to sain, That thine array is made or wrought in vain. Suffer hem speake, and trust right wel this, A wicked tonge wol alway deme amis.

Thou will to kings be equipolent, With great lordes evin and peregall, And if thou be torne, all to rent, Then woll they say, and jangle over all, Thou art a slougarde that never thrive shall, Suffre hem speke, and trust right well this, A wicked tonge woll alway deme amis.

* If it befall that thou take a wife, They woll falsly say in their entent, Thou art likely ever to live in strife, Voide of all rest, without aledgment, Wifes ben maistres, this is their judgment, Suffren all their spech, & trust right well this, A wicked tonge woll alway deme amis.

* If thou be faire and excellent of beaute, Yet woll they say that thou art amourous, If thou be foule and vgly on to see, They woll affirme that thou art vicious, The people of language is so dispitous, Suffre all their spech, & trust right well this, A wicked tonge woll alway deme amis.

If so be that of parfitenesse, Thou hast vowed to live in chastitee, Then woll folke, of thy person expresse, Thou art impotent tengendre in thy degree, And thus where thou be chaste or des••avy, Suffre hem speake, and trust right well this, A wicked tonge woll alway deme amis.

If thou be fatte other corpolent, Then wol they sain thou art a great gloton, A devourer, or els vinolent, If thou be leane or megre of fashion, Call thee a nigard in their opinion, Suffre them speake, and trust right wel this, A wicked tonge woll alway deme amis.

If thou be rich, some woll yeve thee laude, And say it commeth of prudent governaunce, And some wol saine it commeth of fraude, Other by sleight, or false chevisaunce, To sain the worst, folke have so great plea∣saunce, What suffre hem say, & trust right wei this, A wicked tonge woll alway deme amis.

If thou be sadde or sobre of countenaunce, Men woll sain thou thinkest some treason, And if thou be glad of daliaunce, Men woll deme it desolution, And call faire speach adulacion, Yet let hem speake, and trust right well this, A wicked tonge wol alway deme amis.

Who that is holy by perfection, Men of malice woll clip him ypocrite, And who is mery of clene entention, Men sain in riot he doth him delite, Some mourn in blacke, some love in clothes white, Suffre men speake, and trust right well this, A wicked tonge woll alway deme amis.

Honest aray men deme it pompe and pride, And who goeth poore, men call him a waster, And who goeth still men mark him on y^e side, Seine that he is a spy or agiler: Who wasteth not, men sain he hath treasour, Whereof conclude and trust right well this, A wicked tonge will alway deme amis.

Who speketh moch men clepeth him pru∣dent, Who that debateth, men saine y^t he is hardy, And who saith litel with great sentement, Some folke yet wol wite him of foly, Trouth is put down, and vp goth flattery, And who y^t list plainly know the cause of this, A wicked tonge woll alway deme amis.

For though a man were as pacient, As was David throw his humilite, Or with Salomon in wisedome as prudent, Or in knighthode egall with Iosue, Or manly proved, as Iudas Machabe, Yet for al that, trust right well this, A wicked tonge woll alway deme amis.

And though a man had the prowesse Of worthy Hector, Troys Champioun, The love of Troylus, or the kindnesse, Or of Cesar the famous high renoun, With all Alexaunders dominacioun, Yet for all that trust right well this, A wicked tonge woll alway deme amis.

Or though a man of high or low degree, Of Tullius had the sugred eloquence, Or of Seneca the moralitee, Or of Caton forsight and providence, The conquest of Charles, Artures magnifi∣cence, Yet for all that trust right well this, A wicked tonge woll alway deme amis.

Touching of women, y^e parfit Innocence Though that they had, of Hester y^e noblenesse, Or of Gresilde, the humble pacience, Or of Iudith, the preuid stablenesse, Or Polixcenes virginall clennesse,

Yet dare I seiue, and trust right wel this, * Some wicked tong would deme of them amis.

The wifely trouth of Penelope Though they it had in her possession, Helenes beauty, the kindnesse of Medee, The loue vnfayned of Martia Caton, Or Alcestes trewe affection, Yet dare I saine and trust right well this, A wicked tonge wol alway deme amis.

Than sooth it is that no man may eschew The swerd of tonges, but it will kerve & bite, Full hard it is a man for to remew, Out of their daunger him for to aquite, * Wo to the tonges that hemselfe delite, To hinder or slaunder, & set their study in this, And their pleasaunces to deme alway amis.

Most noble princes, cherishers of vertue, Remembreth you of high discretion, * The first vertue most pleasing to Iesu, (By the writing and sentence of Caton) Is a good tonge in his opinion, Chastise the reverse of wisedome do this, Voideth your hearing from al y^• deme amis.