I Perceyue my frende / that thou hast chosē a right pleasant kynde of lynynge / voyde of busynesses of the comon welthe, wherin ne­uertheles thou doste to the comon welthe moche profette: beinge vnto al them that come vnto the, and eke to them that kepe the company, bothe compenable and pleasant.

But sins it is so, that we may fynde some countrey, that wanteth wylde and hurteful beastis, as it is sayde by Creta: But yet no comon welthe hath bene founde, that hath not norisshed within it selfe, enuy, disdayne, and stryfe: of whiche moste comonly emni­ties do growe, ye and if there were nothing els, frendshyp it selfe turneth vs to enmitie, whiche the wyse man Chion perceyuynge, asked one that vaunted hym selfe to haue none enmye, if he had also no frende. Me thynketh than it were mete for a man of auctorite / and that medleth in the rule of the comon welth / that amōge other busin [...] [Page] he shulde haue also consideration of his en­myes, and to take good hede, that this was not spoken for nought of Xenophon: It is a substantial wyse mans parte, to take pro­fette of his enmyes. Therfore I haue ga­thered to gyther those thinges that came in my minde now of late, as I resoned on this matter, And I haue written thē vnto the, in as fewe wordes, takinge hede, as nere as I coulde, that I touche nothinge of those that I wrote afore, in the preceptes of good maner, for I se that boke ofte in thy hande. ¶ To men of the olde worlde it suffised, if they toke no hurte of diuers beastis, and in that tyme they fought with hurtfull beastis only for that purpose. But they that are of later tyme, fyndynge the waye howe to vse wylde beastis, are not onely not hurte, but also they take profette of them, fedynge them with their flesshe, clothyng them with theyr flecis, makynge of theyr mylke and galles, medicines for diseases, and armyng them & defendynge them with theyr skyns: in so moche y ^t now it is to be doubted, that if beastis wanted vnto man, mans lyfe shulde be but beastly, wylde, and nedye. So lyke wyse syns it suffiseth vnto other, to take no hurte of theyr enmyes: and that Xenophon [Page 3] saythe, profette maye be taken of enmyes, Belefe is not to be taken from suche an au­ctour, but rather the maner and way muste be soughte, wherby this profette maye be gotten by them, that may not lyue without emnities.

The husbande man can not take from e­uery tree the wylde nature: nor the hunter can not make euery wylde beaste gentil and tame: so that the waye hath bene founde / that for other vsis, bothe vnfrutefull trees and wylde beastis haue bene profitable.

The see water is vnmets to drynke, and vnpleasant, but it noryssheth fysshes, it ca­ryeth vs from place to place / and it serueth in bryngynge in and beryng out wares.

But Satyrus the fyrst tyme that he sawe fyer, whan he wolde haue taken it & kyssed it: Ho, ꝙ Prometheus, thou roughe knaue, if thou take not hede, it wil make thy syppes smerte: for it burneth, if it be touched, it se [...] uethe not for that purpose: but hit gyuethe lyghte and hete, and is the instrument of all craftes, if one can vse it.

It muste be sene therfore, if also an enmy, that els were hurteful and dangerous, may be touched any other waye, and gyue some particular vse of hym selfe, and do vs very [Page] great profette. For there are many thinges hatefull and greuous vnto them, to whom they hapen: out of the whiche neuertheles some vse may be taken. For thou seest many vse some disease of the body, for occasion of quiete and reste. Agayne, labours and tra­uayles / that haue comen by chaunce / haue made many mans helthe more perfecte by exercise. Besydes this, there hath ben ma­ny / to whom outlawrye and losse of money hath bene forderance to study and lernyng / as to Diogenes, and Crates. And Zenon whan he herde that his shyp was drowned: Thou doste very well Fortune, quod he, in dryuynge me to my studyenge mantyll.

For lyke as some lyue thynges / that are good in digestyng, and heleful for the body, if they ete serpentes and scorpions, they de­gest them: yea and there are some, that are norisshed with stones and shelles, by reason of the force & hete of the sprites, that turne these thinges in to norysshement: where as these / that bene tender and sickelye, can nat awaye with breadde and wyne. So fooles marre and also lose frendshyppes, but they that are wyse, can profitably vse enmities.

Fyrste therfore that that in enmytie is moste hurtfull / semeth vnto me to do great [Page 4] ꝓfette / if one take hede to it. What is that? sayste thou. Truely an enmye alway wat­chynge / markethe what thou doste / and in sekynge occasion of sklaunder / prieth and peryth alwaye on thy lyuyng, percyng with his syght lyke a Lynx, not only the tymber, the coueryng, and the walles of thy house, but also thy frende, thy seruant, and whom so euer kepeth the company / that as nere as he may, he wyll knowe what thou dost, per­cynge and tryenge all thy secretes. Where as our frend is by our delay and negligens, ofte tymes are bothe sicke / and dye without our knowlege. And of our enmyes / wel­nere we marke theyr dremes. So that the disseasis / the dettes / the skoldynges with theyr wyues / shall rather be vnknowne of them / whose they are, than of their enmyes. So, chiefly dothe he marke fautes / and a­boue all thynge, them he feketh. Euen lyke as these Grypes, that flye vnto the sauour of stynkyng caryōs, and them that are holle and cleane they smelle not: So if there be any thyng foule / or fautie / or af [...]er apetite, in thy lyfe, this prouokethe thy enmye, the [...] to he leapethe / who so euer hateth / that he pulleth and twytcheth. Is it not therfore profitable to the, to be constrayned to that [Page] poynt / that alway thou lyue hedefully and warely, and that thou nother do nor say any thynge rechelesslye, or vnaduisedlye? But alwayes, as they that are aferde of some disease kepe precise diete for surfetynge / so to kepe fauteles and vnblamable maners. For suche hede bredethe in vs a purpos and a studye of fautles lyuynge, in restraynyng desyres of the mynde / and in withdrawyng and reuokynge the thoughte. For as these cities, that by theyr nere enmys, and conti­nuall warre, lerne sobernes and diligens / and as they kepe theyr lawes better / and gouerne better the comon welthe: so they, whom enmyte hath dryuen to this poynte / that in their lyfe they be sobre and heedful, to auoyde folye / to do all thynge compina­blely without negligens of any thynge / are brought lyttell and lyttel ere they beware, in to a custome of not offendynge, and of re­dressynge theyr maners, if reason helpe any thynge.

For who that haue this alway in remem­brans, that Priam and his chyldren myght be gladde to haue had suche enmyes, wher­by they toke hede to them selfes, and were renowmed: truely it shall withdrawe, re­ [...]rayne / and leade them fro suche thynges / [Page 5] that shulde be pleasure and laughter for theyr emnyes.

We se also these musiciēs ofte tymes slake and not very hedeful, as ofte as they synge in audiens alone: But if there hapen any disdayne / and stryfe with other: than they do not onely applye theyr myndes better, but dresse their īstrumētes more diligētly, chuse theyr strynges / tune them more preciselye / in assayenge often theyr acorde: So who that perceyuethe / that he hath a disdayner, both of his name and of his lyuynge, taketh better hede to hym selfe / he examinethe all his dedes, and redresseth all his lyfe. For of trouthe noughtynes hath this propretie, that in offendynge, it ferethe more enmyes than frēdes. Therfore Scipio whan some thoughte Rome to be in a suertie, bycause Carthage was distroyed, and the Grekes ouercomen: Ye but nowe, quod he, we are in greattest peryll, sins nowe we haue none, whom we drede or fere.

Take with this the answere of Diogenes very excellent and mete for a philosopher: To one that asked hym / whiche waye he myght be reuenged on his enmye: If thou make, quod he, thy selfe an honeste and a good man.

[Page]Moste parte of men are sorye / whan they se the fayre horse / or wel praised dogges of theyr enmyes: And agayne they are sory, if they se theyr lande wel husbāded, or their gardeyne fayre and goodly. What trowest thou than they wyll do / if thou shewe thy selfe an vpright man, wyse / good / & thrifty, excellent in wel sayinge / pure & vncorrupte in matters of charge: In temperance of thy synynge, sobre and mesurable, vsynge to plowe a depe forowe in a wyse brest, when [...] out do sprynge goodly and fayre councels? ¶ They that are ouercomen, saythe Pin­darus, haue theyr tonge tayde, that they dare not ones hysce. But that is not aplia­ble proprely in euery one, that is ouercomen of theyr enmyes, But in them onely, that se them selfe ouercomen of theyr enmyes / in diligence, in wysedome / in greatnes of the mynde, in gentylnes, and liberalitie. These thynges do folde vp a tonge, as sayth De­mosthenes, these do shutte and close vp the mouth, these do stoppe the throte, these cause silence, these cause the, that, as sayth Pyn­darus / thou darste not ones hisce. Therfore endeuour thou thy selfe / sins thou mayst, to seme better than they that be nought.

Therfore if thou desyre to greue thyne [Page 6] enmye, do it not this way, to cal hym leude, or dronkerde, knaue, or nygarde, or slut­tysshe or slouen, but rather endeuour thou thy selfe to be an honest man / endeuour thy selfe to be sobre, & measurable, to be trewe, and to entreate them gentyllye and indiffe­rently / that kepe company and medle with the. But if it so hapen / that thou falle to chydyng and reuylyng / take hede that thou be cleane without those fautes, for whiche thou rebukest an other. Returne thy selfe in to thyn owne brest / loke in to thyne owne bosome, and marke well / if there be any thyng filthy or subiecte to vice: Lest para­uenture some yll tonge haue occasion to cast this in thy tethe: He saluethe other / and is hym selfe full of botchis.

But if he cal the vnferned, aplye thou thy selfe to study, and quicken thy endeuour, if he call the cowarde, styrre thy corage and the redynes of thy mynde / if he calle the vnchast and vicious, chace out of thy mynde the desyre of luste / if any suche printe / vn­ware to the, stycke in the. For there is no­thynge fouler than suche rebuke, that re­boundethe to the rebuker. And there is no­thynge more greuous or sharper. For lyke as the reflection of light doth most hurte to [Page] sore eies, so do yll wordes / whiche trouthe returneth thyther as they came fro.

Truely lyke as the northest wynde dra­with cloudes towarde it / so doth yll lyuyng drawe yll speakynge vnto hit. Therfore Plato, as ofte as he sawe any do vncomly, to him selfe was wonte to say: Am I suche in any case?

Ferthermore he that hath skolded with an other, if he forthwith beholde his owne life, and redresse it, chaungynge it in to the con­trary / and correctynge hit: truely he shall take great profette by skoldynge, and otherwyse it is bothe taken and also is a very fo­lisshe thyng. For so comonly men are wont to laugh at him, that is balde or croked, and blameth an other for the same vicis. But it is moste of al to be laughte at, one to cast a rebuke to an other / whiche maye haue some rebuke turned to hym selfe. As Leo of Byzantia, whan a foule croked felowe cast vnto hym the sorenes of his eies: It is na­tural, ꝙ he, But thou dost cary thyne owne rebuke vpon thy backe.

Therfore beware that thou caste not ad­ulterie in ones tethe, if thou vse a more fyl­thye flesshelye luste: nor attwite not one of wast / if thou be a nygarde.

[Page 7]Al [...]meon layde hit to Adrastus / that he was cosyn to a woman / that slewe hir mo­ther. But what sayde he agayne? He laide to hym agayne not an others faute / but his owne, sayinge: Thou slewest thy mother thyne owne handes.

Domitius iested with Crassꝰ on this wise: Dyddest thou not wepe, whan thy Lampray was deed, whiche thou haddest kepte in thy stewe? But Crassus returned the checke on this facion: Dyddest thou wepe at all / whan thou berydiste .iij. wyues?

He that shulde checke an other / maye not be a iester, or a skolder, or a foole: But he muste be suche one / on whom no checke nor faute may cleue. For it semeth that god cō ­mande this, KnoWe thy selfe, to no man more than to hym, that shulde blame and checke an other: Lest, if they say what they wyll, they here that that they wolde not. For it is wonte to be as Sophocles sayth: Whā thou hast powred out wordes folisshe­ly / & sayd them with thy good wyll, againe thou shalte here the same agaynst thy wyll.

And that is the profette and commoditie / that may be taken of chidyng with enmies: and no lesse profette cometh of the tother / that is, if one be yll spoken of / and rebuked [Page] of his enmyes. Wherupon hit was well and truly spoken of Antisthenes: It beho­ueth a man for the safegarde of his welthe and prosperitie, eyther to haue sure trustye frendes / or sharpe enmyes, bycause they in warnynge, tother in rebukynge, refrayne hym from vicis.

But truely bycause that now adays frendshyp hath loste hir speche to speake frelye, and flaterie hath tonge inough / warnynge is domme: it remayneth therfore, that we muste here the trouthe of our enmyes. For like as Telephus coulde not be heled of his wounde by no surgen of his owne felowes, and was heled by an other wounde, that Achilles his enmie gaue hym in the same place: so they that haue no frendly warner, muste suffre the wordes of an yll wyllynge enmy, wherby they may correcte & amende their fautes. In whiche tyme the thynge it selfe oughte to be consydered, and not the mynde of the yll speaker. For lyke as he that thought to haue slayne Prometheus of Thessali, by chance strake so a wenne that he had / that he saued the man, and by brea­kynge the wenne rydde hym of the peryll: so hit is not selden sene, that a rebuke caste [Page 8] out by enmyte and hatred, healeth a sore of the mynde, that was parauenture vnkno­wen or els vnregarded.

But many that are touched with a rebuke, do not considre this, whether they be gyltie of the shame that is layde to them, but they loke rather, if he that layde hit, haue any thynge in hym, that may be caste agaynste hym. And lyke as wrestlers in the wrest­lynge place / do not brusshe away the duste / but one arayethe an other: so with rebukes whan they mete to gyther, one of them sha­meth an other. But it were more acording, that he that hath had a checke of his enmy, shall take that away that is layde agaynste hym, rather than a spotte that one sheweth hym in his gowne.

Ye and also if one lay to thy charge a faute, that thou arte not gyltie in / yet hit is to be soughte, vpon what causes that yl spekynge dyd growe: and than it oughte to be taken hede of and fered / leste that vnware we do any thynge lyke that, that is layde agaynst vs. As Lacides kynge of Argyne, for his trymme busshe, and a lyttell more pyked apparell / was sklaunderde amonge the cō ­mon sorte / as tender and womannysshe.

[Page]The same hapned to Pompey / bycause he skratched his heed with one fynger, altho he was farre inoughe from tendernes and wantonnes.

So also it dyd hapen vnto Crassus, which to dye a propre ferme, ofte tymes resorted to a woman of religion, for to wynne hir good wyll.

Truely Posthumia by reason of hir libe­rall laughyng and talkynge with men, was so sklaunderde, that she was accused of ad­ulterie, altho hit was founde, that the faute was not trewe: Yet the bysshop Spurius Minutius at hir departynge warned hir / that she shulde talke with as great drede of shame, as she dyd lyue.

And Themistocles whan he offended no­thynge, yet he gatte by Pausanias to be su­specte of treason / by cause he vsed hym so familiarly / and sent hym dayly lettres and messengers. Therfore whan there is any thynge sayde agaynst the, that is not trewe, thou oughtest not therfore / bycause hit i [...] false / to let it passe. But trye with thy selfe, if thou haue sayde or done any thynge, or assayde any thynge, or if amonge thy fami­liars there hath any thynge bene, that hath gyuen hym prouable occasion: and if thou [Page 9] fynde it, take hede and auoyde it.

Truely if harde happe, that comethe by chance, teacheth some, what is best to do, as Meropa speakethe in a playe: Fortune in takynge awaye that, that was mooste dere vnto me, hath made me wyse, to my coste. Why shulde we nat aswel vse our enmye for a teacher lesse costly / that may profette vs, and teacheth vs some thyng, that we knewe not afore? For truelye many thynges an enmye perceyueth better than a frende, bycause that loue blyndeth in the thyng that is loued, as sayth Plato. But vnto hate is ioy­ned bothe besye serche and bablynge.

Whan Hieron had his stinkyng brethe cast agaynste hym of his enmye / he came home and chode his wyfe, sayinge: Why dyddest not thou shewe me this faute? But she that was chaste and symple, answered: I had wente, quod she, that all men had sauoured on the same fasshion. So that that, whiche may be sensiblely perceyued, & those thinges that be in the body seene of euery man, thou shalte soner knowe them of thyn ennemyes, than of thy frendes or felowes.

Put to this, that where it is no smal parte of vertue to haue a sobre tonge / alwayes o­bedient to reason: that thou canst not haue, [Page] without thou by moche exercise, hede, and studie, subdue the yl motions of thy mynde, of whiche sorte anger is one. For as from fooles wordes do skape out, and as Homere saythe: The fleinge voyce forsakethe the closure of the mouthe, So is it most wonte to hapen to vnexercised myndes, that slippe and slyde, by vnmoderate anger, by vntem­peratnes of mynde, and by smalle hede of lyuynge.

More ouer, as saythe the godly Plato / the lyghtest thynge that is, bothe god and man punysshe with greattest payne. But a tother syde / sylence where as hit is alwaye gyltles / and not only not hurtfull, hit hath besydes in chydynge / a sauour of Socrates constance, or of Hercules force rather / for he also toke lesse hede of greuous wordes, than he dyd of flyes.

Surely where as there is nothynge more graue or fayrer / than whan thy enmy chy­deth, to holde thy peace, as one that sayleth by a great rocke, so also dothe suche an exercise sprede ferder. For if thou vse to suffre thyn enmyes chydynge, holdyng thy peace, thou shalte verye easelye suffre thye wyues skoldynge, whan she is angry, & bere with­out trouble the cryenge of thy frende, and [Page 10] the combre of thy brother. For of thy fa­ther & thy mother thou wilte suffre knockes and strokes, and be not moued with angre.

And Socrates dydde suffre Xantippa his wyfe at home to chyde and combre hym, the more easely to kepe company with other / if he vsed to forbere hir. But it is moche bet­ter in beinge exercised with checkes, rebu­kes / & hatredes of enmyes, to vse to subdue angre / and not to chaffe whan thou arte yll spokē to. Therfore on this wyse one ought to vse sobrenes and suffrance, in enmytes. But symplenes, great mynde, and gentyl­nes is more acordyng in frendshyppes. For it is not so honest to deserue well of a frēde, as hit is shame not to do hit, as ofte as nede requireth. But yet it is taken for gentilnes, whan chaunce gyueth occasion / to let passe and not to be reuenged on thyn enmye.

But he that receyueth not his good wyll, & prayseth not his gentylnes, that soroweth the offence of his enmie, & helpeth hym, if he desyre it / & taketh some hede to his chyldrē, or to his house / that is in peryll, truely he hath an herte of a dyamant, or els of yron.

Whan Cesar had commanded the ymages of Pompei, that were cast downe, to be sette vp agayne: Thou hast, quod M. Tullius, [Page] set vp Pompeis ymages, and stablysshed thyn owne. Wherfore an enmie is not to be dispraised, nor to be deceiued of his honour, whiche is to be praised, & worthye, for by­cause a greatter prayse theron cometh vnto thē that so do praise. Beside that, he y ^t prai­seth one / that deserueth it, is better beleued, whā he blameth, as one that hateth not the man, but that aloweth not his dede.

And that that is moste goodly of all and moste profitable, he shall in no wyse enuye his fortunate frendes / nor his familiars, whan they do any thynge prayse worthye, who so euer vseth to praise his enmyes / and not to gnawe nor byte at theyr good fortu­nes. Is there any thyng that bredeth suche profette in vs, or y ^t engēdreth in our mindes a better vse, than that that takethe from vs disdayne and enuye? For as in a common welthe there are many thynges necessarye and yet noughte, whiche sins they be comen in custome, & gottē the strengthes of a lawe, yet shall they, to whom they be hurtefull or greuous / not lyghtely do them awaye: So enmytie bryngeth with hit many vicis / as angre, suspection, reioysynge of others harme, remembrance of wronges, and le­ueth the printes of these in the mynde.

[Page 11]Besydes that many thynges, whiche if thou do them to thyne enmye, seme nother yll nor wrongfull, so remayne they in vs / that skant they can be put away / as is craf­tynes, deceyte, and subtylties. Wherby ofte tymes by the custome, we shall vse them to our frendes, if we be not ware howe we vse them to our ēmies. Therfore Pythagoras commanded very wel, whan he moued men from takynge of fowle, and of fysshe / and forbad the kyllynge of all gentyll beastis / to thende that in beastis we shulde vse to tē ­pre our selfes from cruelte and rauenynge. But hit is moche more goodly / in beinge a gentyll, a iuste / and a symple enmye, in de­bates and stryfes agaynst men, to chastice the foule and deceytefull affections of the mynde / and to subdue them / to thende that in medlynge with frendes men may vtterly forbere them.

Scaurus was at debate with Domitius, and sewed hym: so a seruant of Domitius afore the matter was pleaded, came vnto Scaurus, and aduertised hym, that he had a secrete thynge to tell hym: but he wolde not suffre the felowe to speke, but toke hym and sente hym to his maister.

Cato whan Murena dyd sewe hym, and [Page] sought to gather argumentes of the accusa­tion / there folowed hym (as was the cu­stome) they that awayted, what shulde be done, and they ofte tymes wolde aske hym, if that daye he wolde do any thynge / that myght pertayne to his accusynge: and if he denyed it, they beleued hym and went theyr way. And truely that was a greatte token, that they had a good opinion of Cato.

But this is yet fairest of al, that one whā we are acustomed to do vprightly and iustly with our enmyes, we shall neuer medle de­ceytefully or falselye with our frendes and familiars. But by cause it muste nedes be, that euery kocke haue his combe, and euery mynde of man of hym selfe bredeth stryfe, suspecte, & enuie: it were nat vnprofitable, amonge frendes that haue but holowe myndes, as sayth Pyndarus, if a man poure out the purgynge of suche fautes vpon his en­myes, and to let hit ronne as in to a synke / farre of from his frendes or familiars. Whiche me thynketh Onomademus an ho­nest man perceyued, whiche was in Chio / whan there was a mutenyng there / on that parte that had the better, and warned them of his syde / not to chase them all out, that were of the contrary syde, lest, quod he, that [Page 12] we begynne to falle out with our frendes, if we wante emnyes. And if those vicis on this wyse shulde be consumed on enmyes / they shal the lesse greue frendes.

For truelye the potter shulde not enuie the potter, nor the synger the synger, as Hesio­dus sayth: and hit is not mete, that a man shulde disdaine his neibour / or his cosyn / or his brother, if he waxe riche, and haue good fortune. But if there be none other way to ridde thy selfe from stryfe, enuie, & disdaine, than vse thy selfe to be sory for thyn enmies good fortune, and sharpen the edge of angre agaynst them. For as these connynge gar­diners thynke to make rosis and violettis the better, if they sowe oynyōs and garlyke nere by thē, that what so euer sower sauour be in thē, it may be purged in to the tother: so an enmye receyuynge in to hym our enuie and waywardnes, shal make vs better and lesse greuous to our frendis, that haue good fortune. Wherfore agaynst them muste be exercised the stryfe of glorie / of rule / and of good gaynynge, but not so moche, that we shuld tourmēt our selfe, tho they haue more than we: But to marke al thinges by what meanes they passe vs, and let vs endeuour vs to passe them in diligence / endeuonr / so­brenes, [Page] and warenes: As Themistocles was wonte to saye / that he coulde not slepe for Myltiades victorie at Maratho.

For he that is brought to so lowe mynde, and fayntyng for enuie, by cause he thinketh hym selfe passed of his enmye, in gouernāce, or in obtaynyng of causis, or in fauoure, or auctoritie with frendes / or with noble men, and not rather endeuoureth and assayethe some thinge in dispite of hym / trewly he is holden with a folysshe and a vayne enuye. But he whom hate blyndeth not so, but that he may iuge hym, whō he hateth / & also may loke with indifferent eies, bothe vpon his lyfe / and his maners / his wordes, and his dedes: of a suertie he shall perceyue many of those thynges, that he enuiethe / to come vnto the tother by diligence, prouision / and of dedes well done. And therwithal by ex­ercise sharpynge the takynge hede of passing hym, and the studye of honour / he shal shake of al ydlenes and false herte. So that if we se that they haue gotten in the courte or in the comon welthe, any vnhonest or vndeser­ued power, eyther by flatery / or by deceite, or by false iugement, or by mede / hit shall not be greuous vnto vs / but rather plesure, in layinge to gether our vpryghte lyuynge [Page 13] with theyr noughtynes. For truely all the golde that is eyther aboue the erthe or vn­der the erthe, is not to be cōpared with ver­tue, as sayth Plato. It is mete also to haue alway in remēbrāce that worde of Solon: We woll not saythe he, chaunge the ryches of vertue, neyther for the largesse that is cried by a great nombre / hired for mete, nor for honours, nor for the chiefe place amōge the wyues & concubines of dukes & princis. For there is nothinge to be wondred at / or notable / that groweth of dishoneste. But the louer is blynde in that that he louethe, as saythe Plato / and better we perceyue if our enmyes do any thinge vncomely. Yet maye we not tho they do noughtilye take an vnprofitable gladnes / or and if they do well / be moued with an ydle griefe, but in eche of this is to be thought / that in beinge ware of the tone we maye be better than they / and folowynge the tother that we be no worse.

TO fylle vp the padges, that els wold haue ben voide, I thought it shuld nother hurt nor displese, to adde herevnto a fewe sayenges / howe a man shulde chose and cherysshe a frende.

Cicero saith, that Scipio cōpleyned gretly / that men were more diligent in al thynges / than in frendshyppe: euery man knoweth howe many gotes and shepe he hath, but no man can telle howe many frendes he hath: And in the getting of other thinges men vse great care and diligence / but in chosynge of frendes they be verye negligent, nor they haue not as it were markes and tokens / by the which they may deme those that are fete to be receyued in to frendshyppe. The boke sayth / haue not frendshyppe with an yrefull man / nor with a fole: but as Cicero saythe, men firme, and stable, and constant / shulde be taken in to frendshyppe. Of the whiche sorte is great scarsite and lacke / and to iuge whiche they be, is a very harde thynge, ex­cept we make a proffe, and we can not make [Page 14] a proffe therof tyll we be entred in to frendshyp. So, frendshyp goth before iugement.

Some there be, that a smal sōme of money shal shewe how sure frendes they be. Some there are / whiche a littel thinge can not re­moue, & yet they be knowen in a great nede.

And if we happe to fynde a frende / that demeth it a foule and a shamfull thynge to set more by money than by frēdshyp: yet wher shal we finde thē / that wyl not more esteme honours, rowmes, lordships, powers, and abundāce of riches, than frendship? But as the same Cicero saithe, nother profittes, ho­nours, riches, plesures / nor none other such like thinges, shulde be more set by than frēdships. But yet he that is a good man, shal do nothing for his frendes sake, that is either against the cōmon welthe, or els agaynst his othe or fidelite. For the offence is not excu­sable, to say, thou dyddest it for thy frendes sake. And yet the same Cicero, as Gellius doth recite his wordis, saith, that where our frende standethe in ieopardye eyther of his life or of his good renowme / we may some what swarue a syde out of the waye. But what so euer Gellius saith, Cicero teacheth plainly, that we shulde require nothynge of our frende / but that that is honest.

[Page]And nowe concernynge the truste that we ought to haue in our frende, Seneca sayth: He that estemethe any man his frende, the which he can not trust so moche as him selfe, doth deceiue hym selfe. And he that maketh and proueth his frende festynge at the table doth fayle. It is vertue, say the Cicero, the whiche bothe wynneth and entertaynethe frendes. A man shulde reason and debate al thinges with his frende, but fyrst he shulde debate and reason with hym, whether he be a frende or no. No man nedeth to mystrust frendship / but fyrste let hym examyne and deme, whether it be frendshyp or not.

They do agaynst the preceptes of Theo­phraste, the whiche loue before they iuge, and not after they haue demed. Thou shul­deste a longe tyme consydre, whether thou shuldest take any in to thy frendshyppe. and whan it liketh the so to do, than receiue him with all thy very harte, and talke as boldly with him, as though thou were alone. But yet lyue thou after suche fachion, that thou cōmitte nothynge to hym / but that that thou woldest cōmitte to an enmie. But for bicause there be certayne businesses / the whiche cu­stome maketh secrete, make thy frēde priuie to al thy cares and thoughtes. Thou shalte [Page 15] do thus, if thou suppose hym to be sure and faythfull. For many shewe the maner and waye to deceiue, while they fere to be decei­ued. And some tell them that they mete by the way, & blowe in euery mans eare, it that shulde only be opened & shewed to frendes. Agayne some also drede so moche the con­science of their mooste dere frendes, that if they may, they woll kepe close within them all their secretenes, bycause they woll not put them in truste therwith. None of these two wayes is to be taken / for eche of them both is nought, to truste euery body / and to truste no man. Of whiche two fautes the fyrste is the more honest / and the other the more sure. And thoughe the wyse man be content with hym selfe / yet woll he haue a frende, and it be for none other cause, but to exercise frendshyppe / leste so great a vertue shulde lye asyde. Not for that that Epicure saythe / that he may haue one to tende hym whan he is sicke, or els that maye succoure hym, if he be cast in prison / or be poure and nedy, but that he may haue one / whom sicke and diseased he may tende vpon, and whom he may delyuer out of warde / if he happe to come in his enmyes handes. He that re­gardeth hym selfe / and for his owne sake [Page] seketh frendshyppe, he intendeth yuell: and lyke as he begynneth, so shall he ende. He thynketh he hath got a frende to helpe hym out of prison, whiche, whan he hereth the chaynes rattel, goth his way. These frend­shyps, as the people sayth, dure for a tyme. He that is receyued into frendshyp for loue of profyte, as longe as he is profytable, he pleaseth. It is nedeful that the begynnyng and endynge of frendshyp, shulde agre. He that begynneth to be a frende, by cause it is expedient for hym, some price shall please hym agaynst frendshyp, if there be any price in it / that may please him aboue frendshyp. Thou sayste, To what intent shulde I pre­pare a frende? I answere, that thou maist haue one, whom thou mayste accompany, whan he is banisshed / for whom thou mayst put thy selfe in daunger of dethe. For the tother is rather a shapmanshyp than a frendshyppe, whiche hath a respecte to profette, and considereth, what auayle he maye gette therby. There is nothynge, that so moche deliteth the mynde, as faythfull frendshyp. And he is well happy / that fyndeth a trewe frende, saythe the boke. O howe great is the goodnes / whan the breastis be prepared redye, in to the whiche all secretenes maye [Page 16] surely descende, whose conscience thou dre­dest lesse than thyne owne, whose talkynge easeth the grefe and heuynes of thy harte / the sentence gyueth redy and quicke coun­saile / the chere dassheth the inwarde sorow, and the very regarde and beholdynge deli­teth? And bycause the vse of frendshyppe is variable and manyfolde, and there be many causes gyuen of suspicion and offence, the whiche is a wise mans parte to eschewe, to helpe / and to suffre. Frendes muste ofte be monisshed, and rebuked, and that muste be taken frendly / whan hit is done of good wyll. But for so moche as Terence saythe, Trouthe bredeth hate / whiche is as a poy­son to frendshyppe / we must take hede, that our monition be not sowre, and that the re­buke be without vile wordes. For vile re­bukes, as the boke sayth, for doth frendship.