¶ The Morall.
Ere in example, all menne maie take to frame their
owne life, and also to bryng vp in godlie educacion
their children: that while age is tender and young,
thei maie learne by example of the Ante, to prouide in their
grene and lustie youth, some meane of art and science, wher-
by thei maie staie their age and necessitée of life, al soche as do
flie labour, and paine in youth, and seeke no waie of Arte and
science, in age thei shall fall in extreme miserie and pouertée.
¶ The nature of the thyng.
Ot without a cause, the Philosophers searchyng the
nature and qualitee of euery beaste, dooe moche com-
The Ante. mende the Ante, for prouidence and diligence, in that
not [oneie] by nature thei excell in forewisedome to thē selues,
Manne. but also thei be a example, and mirrour to all menne, in that
thei iustlie followe the instincte of Nature: and moche more,
where as men indued with reason, and all singulare vertues
and excellent qualitées of the minde and body. Yet thei doe so
moche leaue reason, vertue, & integritée of minde, as that thei
had been framed without reason, indued with no vertue, nor
adorned with any excellent qualitée. All creatures as nature
hath wrought in them, doe applie them selues to followe na-
ture their guide: the Ante is alwaies diligent in his busines,
and prouident, and also fore séeth in Sommer, the sharpe sea-
son of Winter: thei keepe order, and haue a kyng and a com-
mon wealthe as it were, as nature hath taught them. And so
haue all other creatures, as nature hath wrought in thē their
giftes, man onelie leaueth reason, and neclecteth the chief or-
namentes of the minde: and beyng as a God aboue all crea-
tures, dooeth leese the excellent giftes. A beaste will not take
excesse in feedyng, but man often tymes is without reason,
and hauyng a pure mynde and soule giuen of God, and a face
to beholde the heauens, yet he doeth abase hymself to yearth-
Greshopper. lie thynges, as concernyng the Greshopper: as the Philoso-
phers doe saie, is made altogether of dewe, and sone perisheth[.]
The Greshopper maie well resemble, slothfull and sluggishe
persones, who seke onely after a present pleasure, hauyng no
fore witte and wisedom, to foresée tymes and ceasons: for it is
A poincte of
wisedome. the poinct of wisedō, to iudge thinges present, by thinges past
and to take a cōiecture of thinges to come, by thinges present.
¶ The reasonyng of the twoo thynges.
Hus might the Ante reason with her self, althoughe
the seasons of the yere doe seme now very hotte, plea-
A wise cogi-
tacion. saunt and fruictfull: yet so I do not trust time, as that
like pleasure should alwaies remaine, or that fruictes should
alwaies of like sorte abounde. Nature moueth me to worke,
and wisedome herein sheweth me to prouide: for what hur-
teth plentie, or aboundaunce of store, though greate plentie
commeth thereon, for better it is to bee oppressed with plen-
tie, and aboundaunce, then to bee vexed with lacke. For, to
whom wealthe and plentie riseth, at their handes many bee
releued, and helped, all soche as bee oppressed with necessi-
tie and miserie, beyng caste from all helpe, reason and proui-
dence maimed in theim: All arte and Science, and meane of
life cutte of, to enlarge and maintain better state of life, their
Pouertie. miserie, necessitie, and pouertie, shall continuallie encrease,
who hopeth at other mennes handes, to craue relief, is decei-
ued. Pouertie is so odious a thing, in al places & states reiected
for where lacke is, there [fanour], frendship, and acquaintance
Wisedome. decreaseth, as in all states it is wisedome: so with my self I
waie discritlie, to take tyme while tyme is, for this tyme as a
Housebande
menne. floure will sone fade awaie. The housebande manne, hath he
not times diuers, to encrease his wealth, and to fill his barne,
at one tyme and ceason: the housebande man doeth not bothe
plante, plowe, and gather the fruicte of his labour, but in one
tyme and season he ploweth, an other tyme serueth to sowe,
and the laste to gather the fruictes of his labour. So then, I
must forsee time and seasons, wherin I maie be able to beare
of necessitie: for foolishly he hopeth, who of no wealth and no
abundaunt store, trusteth to maintain his own state. For, no-
Frendship. thyng soner faileth, then frendship, and the soner it faileth, as
Homere. fortune is impouerished. Seyng that, as Homere doeth saie,
a slothfull man, giuen to no arte or science, to helpe hymself,
or an other, is an vnprofitable burdein to the yearth, and God
dooeth sore plague, punishe, and ouerthrowe Citees, kyng-
domes, and common wealthes, grounded in soche vices: that
the wisedome of man maie well iudge, hym to be vnworthie
of all helpe, and sustinaunce. He is worse then a beast, that is
not able to liue to hymself & other: no man is of witte so vn-
Nature. descrite, or of nature so dulle, but that in hym, nature alwa-
yes coueteth some enterprise, or worke to frame relife, or help
The cause of
our bearth. to hymself, for all wée are not borne, onelie to our selues, but
many waies to be profitable, as to our owne countrie, and all
partes thereof. Especiallie to soche as by sickenes, or infirmi-
tie of bodie are oppressed, that arte and Science can not take
place to help thē. Soche as do folowe the life of the Greshop-
per, are worthie of their miserie, who haue no witte to foresée
seasons and tymes, but doe suffer tyme vndescretly to passe,
Ianus. whiche fadeth as a floure, thold Romaines do picture Ianus
with two faces, a face behind, & an other before, which resem-
ble a wiseman, who alwaies ought to knowe thinges paste,
thynges presente, and also to be experte, by the experience of
many ages and tymes, and knowledge of thynges to come.