Early English Meals and Manners Part 82

And malyce thee moue to reuenge thy cause, 784 Dread euer G.o.d, and daunger of the lawes.

[Sidenote: Take no revenge, but forgive.]

Do not reuenge, though in thy power it be, 788 Forgeue the offender being thine enemie.

He is perfectely pacient, we may repute plaine, 792

[Sidenote: Plato.]

[That] From wrath and furye himselfe can refrayne.

[Sidenote: Envy no one.]

[Sidenote: [sign. C. v.]]

Disdayne nor enuie The state of thy brother, 796

[Sidenote: Seneca.]

In worde nor dede not hurtyng one an other.

[Sidenote: An ill body breeds debate.]

Debate and disceate, contencion and enuie, 800 Are the chiefe frutes of an euyll bodie.

[Sidenote: Salomon.]

And Salomon saithe "The harte full of enuie, 804 Of him selfe hath no pleasure nor commoditie."

[Sidenote: _The Fruits of Charity, &c._]

-- The fruites of charitie, loue, and pacience.

Cap. x.

[Sidenote: Charity seeketh not her own, but bears patiently.]

++Charitie seketh not that to her doth belonge, 808 But paciently a-bydinge, sustainynge rather wronge;

[Sidenote: Charity seeketh not her own, but bears patiently.]

Not enuiynge, but bearinge with loue and pacience,-- 812

[Sidenote: [sign. C. v.b.]]

So n.o.ble is her nature,-- forgeuing all ofence.

[Sidenote: Love incites to Mercy.]

And loue doth moue the mynde to mercie, 816 But malice againe doth worke the contrarie.

whiche in the wicked wyll euer beare stroke, 820

[Sidenote: Patience teaches forbearance.]

Pacience thee teacheth therof to beare the yoke.

where pacience and loue to-gether do dwell 824 All hate and debate, with malice, they expell.

[Sidenote: Pithagoras.]

Loue constant and faithfull, Pithagoras doth call 828 To be a vertue most princ.i.p.all.

[Sidenote: Plato.]

Plato doth speake almoste in effecte 832 'where loue is not, no vertue is perfecte.'

[Sidenote: [sign. C. vi.]]

[Sidenote: Pray G.o.d to give thee Charity and Patience, to lead thee to Virtue's School, and thence to Eternal Bliss.]

Desire then G.o.d to a.s.siste thee with his grace 836 Charitie to vse and pacience to imbrace; These three folowinge will thee instructe, 840 That to vertues schoole they wyll thee conducte, And from vertues schoole to eternall blisse 844 where incessaunt ioie continually is.

[Headnote: AGAINST SWEARING.]

[Sidenote: _Against Swearing._]

-- A-gainge (_so_) the horrible vice of swearynge.

Cap. xi.

[Sidenote: Take not G.o.d's name in vain, or He will plague thee.]

++In vaine take not the name of G.o.d; 848 Swere not at all for feare of his rod.

The house with plagues he threteneth to visit 852

[Sidenote: [sign. C. vi.b.]]

where othes are vsed: they shall not escape it.

Iuste are his iudgementes, and true is his worde, 856 And sharper then is a two edged sworde;

[Sidenote: Beware of His wrath, and live well in thy vocation.]

wherfore beware thou his heauy indignacion, 860 And learne to lyue well in thy vocacion wherin that G.o.d shall thee set or call; 864 Rysinge againe-- if it fortune to fall-- By prayer and repentance, whiche is the onely waie. 868 Christ wolde not the death of a sinner, I saye, But rather he turne From his wickednesse, 872 And so to lyue in vertue and goodnesse.

[Sidenote: [sign. C. vii.]]

[Sidenote: What is the good of swearing?]

what better art thou for this thy swearyng 876 Blasfamouslye, the name of G.o.d tearyng?