| |
| A SPENDING hand that alway poureth out, | |
| Had need to have a bringer-in as fast; | |
| And on the stone that still doth turn about, | |
| There groweth no moss: these proverbs yet do last; | |
| Reason hath set them in so sure a place, | 5 |
| That length of years their force can never waste. | |
| When I remember this, and eke the case | |
| Wherein thou standst, I thought forthwith to write, | |
| Brian, to thee, who knows how great a grace | |
| In writing is, to counsel man the right. | 10 |
| To thee therefore, that trots still up and down, | |
| And never rests; but running day and night | |
| From realm to realm, from city, street, and town; | |
| Why dost thou wear thy body to the bones? | |
| And mightst at home sleep in thy bed of down: | 15 |
| And drink good ale so nappy for the nones; | |
| Feed thyself fat; and heap up pound by pound. | |
| Likest thou not this? No. Why? For swine so groins | |
| In sty; and chaw dung moulded on the ground; | |
| And drivel on pearls, with head still in the manger: | 20 |
| So of the harp the ass doth hear the sound: | |
| So sacks of dirt be fill’d. The neat courtier | |
| So serves for less than do these fatted swine. | |
| Though I seem lean and dry, withouten moisture, | |
| Yet will I serve my prince, my lord and thine; | 25 |
| And let them live to feed the paunch that list; | |
| So I may live to feed both me and mine. | |
| By God, well said. But what and if thou wist | |
| How to bring in, as fast as thou dost spend, | |
| That would I learn. And it shall not be miss’d | 30 |
| To tell thee how. Now hark what I intend: | |
| Thou knowest well first, whoso can seek to please, | |
| Shall purchase friends, where truth shall but offend | |
| Flee therefore truth, it is both wealth and ease. | |
| For though that truth of every man hath praise, | 35 |
| Full near that wind goeth truth in great misease. | |
| Use Virtue, as it goeth now-a-days, | |
| In word alone, to make thy language sweet: | |
| And of thy deed yet do not as thou says; | |
| Else be thou sure, thou shalt be far unmeet | 40 |
| To get thy bread; each thing is now so scant, | |
| Seek still thy profit upon thy bare feet. | |
| Lend in no wise, for fear that thou do want, | |
| Unless it be as to a calf a cheese: | |
| But if thou can be sure to win a cant | 45 |
| Of half at least. It is not good to leese. | |
| Learn at the lad, that in a long white coat, | |
| From under the stall, withouten lands or fees, | |
| Hath leapt into the shop; who knows by rote | |
| This rule that I have told thee here before. | 50 |
| Some time also rich age begins to dote; | |
| See thou when there thy gain may be the more: | |
| Stay him by the arm whereso he walk or go; | |
| Be near alway, and if he cough too sore, | |
| What he hath spit tread out; and please him so. | 55 |
| A diligent knave that picks his master’s purse | |
| May please him so, that he, withouten mo’, | |
| Executor is: And what is he the worse? | |
| But if so chance, thou get nought of the man, | |
| The widow may for all thy pain disburse: | 60 |
| A riveled skin, a stinking breath; what then? | |
| A toothless mouth shall do thy lips no harm; | |
| The gold is good: and though she curse or ban, | |
| Yet where thee list thou mayst lie good and warm; | |
| Let the old mule bite upon the bridle, | 65 |
| Whilst there do lie a sweeter in thy arm. | |
| In this also see that thou be not idle, | |
| Thy niece, thy cousin, sister, or thy daughter, | |
| If she be fair, if handsome be her middle, | |
| If thy better hath her love besought her, | 70 |
| Avance his cause, and he shall help thy need: | |
| It is but love, turn thou it to a laughter. | |
| But ware, I say, so gold thee help and speed, | |
| That in this case thou be not so unwise | |
| As Pander was in such a like deed; | 75 |
| For he, the fool of conscience, was so nice, | |
| That he no gain would have for all his pain: | |
| Be next thyself, for friendship bears no price. | |
| Laughest thou at me? why? do I speak in vain? | |
| No, not at thee, but at thy thrifty jest: | 80 |
| Wouldst thou, I should, for any loss or gain | |
| Change that for gold that I have ta’en for best | |
| Next godly things, to have an honest name? | |
| Should I leave that? then take me for a beast. | |
| Nay then, farewell, and if thou care for shame, | 85 |
| Content thee then with honest poverty; | |
| With free tongue what thee mislikes, to blame, | |
| And for thy truth, sometime adversity. | |
| And therewithal this gift I shall thee give, | |
| In this world now little prosperity; | 90 |
| And coin to keep, as water in a sieve. | |
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