10.

1 God sendeth and giueth both mouth and the meat, and blesseth vs al with his benefits great: Then serue we that God that so richly doth giue, shew loue to our neighbors, and lay for to liue. 2[1] As bud by appearing betokneth the spring, and leafe by her falling the contrarie thing: So youth bids vs labour, to get as we can, for age is a burden to laboring man. 3 A competent liuing, and honestly had, makes such as are godlie both thankfull and glad: Life neuer contented, with honest estate, lamented is oft, and repented too late. 4 Count neuer wel gotten that naughtly is got, nor well to account of which honest is not:[E26] Looke long not to prosper, that wayest not this, least prospering faileth, and all go amisse. Laie wisely to marrie. 5 True wedlock is best, for auoiding of sinne, the bed vndefiled much honour doth winne: Though loue be in choosing farre better than gold, let loue come with somewhat, the better to hold.[E27] Concord bringeth foyson. 6 Where cooples agree not is ranker and strife, where such be together is seldome good life: Where cooples in wedlock doe louelie agree, there foyson remaineth, if wisedome there bee. Wife and children craue a dwelling. 7 Who looketh to marrie must laie to keepe house, for loue may not alway be plaieing with douse: If children encrease, and no staie of thine owne, what afterwards followes is soone to be knowne. Thee for thriue. Hostisses grudge: nurses craue. 8 Once charged with children, or likelie to bee, giue ouer to sudgerne, that thinkest to thee:[E28] Least grutching of hostis, and crauing of nurse, be costlie and noisome to thee and thy purse. Live within thy Tedder. 9 Good husbands that loueth good houses to keepe are oftentimes careful when other doe sleepe: To spend as they may, or to stop at the furst, for running in danger, or feare of the wurst. By haruest is ment al thy stock. 10 Go count with thy cofers,[2] when haruest is in, which waie for thy profite, to saue or to win: Of tone of them both, if a sauer wee smel,[E29] house keeping is godlie where euer we dwel. Be thine own purs bearer. 11 Sonne, think not thy monie purse bottom to burn, but keepe it for profite, to serue thine owne turn: A foole and his monie be soone at debate, which after with sorrow repents him too late.[E30] 12 Good bargaine a dooing, make priuie but few, in selling, refraine not abrode it to shew: In making make haste, and awaie to thy pouch, in selling no haste, if ye dare it auouch.[E31] Euill landlord. 13 Good Landlord who findeth, is blessed of God, A cumbersome Landlord is husbandmans rod: He noieth, destroieth, and al to this drift, to strip his poore tenant of ferme and of thrift. Rent corne. 14[3] Rent corn[E32] who so paieth, (as worldlings wold haue, so much for an aker) must liue as a slaue: Rent corne to be paid, for a reasnable rent, at reasnable prises is not to lament. Foure beggers. 15 Once placed for profit, looke neuer for ease, except ye beware of such michers[E33] as thease: Unthriftines, Slouthfulnes, Careles and Rash, that thrusteth thee headlong to run in the lash. Thrifts officers. 16 Make monie thy drudge, for to follow thy warke, Make wisedome controler, good order thy clarke: Prouision Cater, and skil to be cooke, make steward of all, pen, inke, and thy booke. Thrifts phisicke. 17 Make hunger thy sauce,[E34] as a medcine for helth, make thirst to be butler, as physick for welth: Make eie to be vsher, good vsage to haue, make bolt to be porter, to keepe out a knaue. Thrifts bailie. 18 Make husbandrie bailie, abrode to prouide, make huswiferie dailie at home for to guide: Make cofer fast locked, thy treasure to keepe, make house to be sure, the safer to sleepe. Husbandly armors. 19 Make bandog[E35] thy scoutwatch, to barke at a theefe, make courage for life to be capitaine cheefe: Make trapdore thy bulwarke, make bell to be gin,[4] make gunstone and arrow shew who is within. Théeves to thrift. 20 The credite of maister, to brothell his man, and also of mistresse, to minnekin Nan, Be causers of opening a number of gaps, That letteth in mischiefe and many mishaps.[E36] Friends to thrift. 21 Good husband he trudgeth, to bring in the gaines, good huswife she drudgeth, refusing no paines: Though husband at home be to count[5] ye wote what,[E37] yet huswife within is as needfull as that. Enimie to thrift. 22 What helpeth in store to haue neuer so much, halfe lost by ill vsage, ill huswiues, and such: So, twentie lode bushes, cut downe at a clap, such heede may be taken, shall stop but a gap.[E38] Sixe noiances to thrift. 23 A retcheles[6] seruant, a mistres that scowles, a rauening mastife, and hogs that eate fowles: A giddie braine maister, and stroyal his knaue, brings ruling to ruine, and thrift to hir graue. Inough is a praise. 24 With some vpon Sundaies, their tables doe reeke, and halfe the weeke after, their dinners to seeke:[E39] Not often exceeding, but alwaie inough, is husbandlie fare, and the guise of the plough. 25 Ech daie to be feasted, what husbandrie wurse, ech daie for to feast, is as ill for the purse: Yet measurely feasting with neighbors among, shal make thee beloued, and liue the more long. Thrifts aduises. 26 Things husbandly handsom let workman contriue, but build not for glorie, that thinkest to thriue: Who fondlie in dooing consumeth his stock, in the end for his follie doth get but a mock. Spoilers to thrift. 27 Spend none but your owne, howsoeuer ye spend, for bribing[7] and shifting, haue seldom good end: In substance although ye haue neuer so much, delight not in parasites, harlots, and such.[8] 28 Be suretie seldome, (but neuer for much) for feare of purse penniles hanging by such: Or Skarborow warning,[E40] as ill I beleeue, when (sir I arest yee[E41]) gets hold of thy sleeue. 29 Use (legem pone[E42]) to paie at thy daie, but vse not (Oremus[E43]) for often delaie: Yet (Præsta quæsumus[E44]) out of a grate, Of al other collects,[E45] the lender doth hate. 30[9] Be pinched by lending, for kiffe nor for kin, nor also by spending, by such as come in; Nor put to thy hand betwixt bark and the tree, least through thy owne follie so pinched thou bee.[E46] 31 As lending to neighbour, in time of his neede, winnes love of thy neighbour, and credit doth breede, So neuer to craue, but to liue of thine owne, brings comforts a thousand, to many vnknowne. 32 Who liuing but lends? and be lent to they must; else buieng and selling might lie in the dust; But shameles and craftie, that desperate are, make many ful honest the woorser to fare.[E47] 33 At some time to borow, account it no shame, if iustlie thou keepest thy touch for the same: Who quick be to borow, and slow be to paie, their credit is naught, go they neuer so gaie. 34[10] By shifting and borrowing, who so as liues, not well to be thought on, occasion giues: Then lay to liue warily, and wisely to spend, for prodigall liuers haue seldom good end. 35[11] Some spareth too late, and a number with him, the foole at the bottom, the wise at the brim:[E48] Who careth nor spareth, till spent he hath all, Of bobbing, not robbing, be fearefull he shall. 36 Where welthines floweth, no friendship can lack, whom pouertie pincheth, hath friendship as slack: Then happie is he by example that can take heede by the fall of a mischieued man.[E49] 37 Who breaketh his credit, or cracketh it twise, trust such with a suretie, if ye be wise: Or if he be angrie, for asking thy due, once euen, to him afterward, lend not anue. 38 Account it wel sold that is iustlie well paid, and count it wel bought that is neuer denaid: But yet here is tone, here is tother doth best, for buier and seller, for quiet and rest. 39 Leaue Princes affaires undeskanted on, and tend to such dooings as stands thee vpon:[E50] Feare God, and offend not the Prince nor his lawes, and keepe thyselfe out of the Magistrates clawes.[12] 40 As interest or vsurie plaieth the dreuil, so hilback and filbellie biteth as euil: Put dicing among them, and docking the dell: and by and by after, of beggerie smell.[13] Thrifts Auditor. 41 Once weekelie remember thy charges to cast, once monthlie see how thy expences may last: If quarter declareth too much to be spent, for feare of ill yeere take aduise of thy rent. 42 Who orderlie entreth his paiment in booke, may orderlie find them againe (if he looke.) And he that intendeth but once for to paie: shall find this in dooing the quietest waie. 43 In dealing vprightlie this counsel I teach, first recken, then write, er[14] to purse yee doe reach, Then paie and dispatch him, as soone as ye can: for lingring is hinderance to many a man. 44 Haue waights, I aduise thee, for siluer & gold, for some be in knauerie now a daies bold: And for to be sure good monie to pay: receiue that is currant, as neere as ye may. 45 Delight not for pleasure two houses to keepe, least charge without measure vpon thee doe creepe. And Jankin and Jenikin[E51] coosen thee so to make thee repent it, er yeere about go. 46 The stone that is rouling can gather[15] no mosse,[E52] who often remooueth is sure of losse. The rich it compelleth to paie for his pride; the poore it vndooeth on euerie side. 47 The eie of the maister enricheth the hutch, the eie of the mistresse auaileth as mutch. Which eie, if it gouerne, with reason and skil, hath seruant and seruice, at pleasure and wil. 48 Who seeketh reuengement of euerie wrong, in quiet nor safetie continueth long. So he that of wilfulnes trieth the law, shall striue for a coxcome, and thriue as a daw.[E53] 49 To hunters and haukers, take heede what ye saie, milde answere with curtesie driues them awaie: So, where a mans better wil open a gap, resist not with rudenes, for feare of mishap.[E54] 50 A man in this world for a churle that is knowne, shall hardlie in quiet keepe that is his owne: Where lowlie and such as of curtesie smels, finds fauor and friendship where euer he dwels. 51 Keepe truelie thy Saboth, the better to speed, Keepe seruant from gadding, but when it is need. Keepe fishdaie and fasting daie, as they doe fal:[E55] what custome thou keepest, let others keepe al. 52[16] Though some in their tithing be slack or too bold, be thou vnto Godward not that waie too cold: Euill conscience grudgeth, and yet we doe see ill tithers ill thriuers most commonlie bee. 53 Paie weekelie thy workman, his houshold to feed, paie quarterlie seruants, to buie as they need: Giue garment to such as deserue and no mo, least thou and thy wife without garment doe go. 54 Beware raskabilia, slothfull to wurke, purloiners and filchers, that loueth to lurke. Away with such lubbers, so loth to take paine, that roules in expences, but neuer no gaine. 55 Good wife, and good children, are worthie to eate, good seruant, good laborer, earneth their meate: Good friend, and good neighbor, that fellowlie gest, with hartilie welcome, should haue of the best. 56 Depart not with al that thou hast to thy childe, much lesse vnto other, for being beguilde: Least, if thou wouldst gladlie possesse it agen, looke for to come by it thou wottest not when. 57 The greatest preferment that childe we can giue, is learning and nurture, to traine him to liue: Which who so it wanteth, though left as a squier, consumeth to nothing, as block in the fier. 58 When God hath so blest thee, as able to liue, and thou hast to rest thee, and able to giue, Lament thy offences, serue God for amends, make soule to be readie when God for it sends. 59 Send fruites of thy faith to heauen aforehand, for mercie here dooing, God blesseth thy land: He maketh thy store with his blessing to swim, and after, thy soule to be blessed with him. 60 Some lay to get riches by sea and by land, and ventreth his life in his enimies hand: And setteth his soule vpon sixe or on seauen,[E56] not fearing nor caring for hell nor for heauen. 61 Some pincheth, and spareth, and pineth his life, to cofer vp bags for to leaue to his wife: And she (when he dieth) sets open the chest, for such as can sooth hir and all away wrest. 62 Good husband, preuenting the frailnes of some, takes part of Gods benefits, as they doo come, And leaueth to wife and his children the rest, each one his owne part, as he thinketh it best. 63 These lessons approoued, if wiselie ye note, may saue and auantage ye many a grote. Which if ye can follow, occasion found, then euerie lesson may saue ye a pound.