Classic Poem

Serve, love, and dread you God on high, obey your prince on earth;
Unto your betters dutie shewe, be they by rule or byrth.

Live you within the bounds of lawe, and tether of your fee;
For lightly after one yeares store, of scarcitie commeth three.

Use studie when your wittes are fresh, and aptest to conceive;
But studie not the fruites of fraud, your neighbour to deceive.

Use exercise with such a meane, as workes your bodies wealth;
And too much toyle doth hinder strength, and sloth impayreth health.

Make choice to choose such companie as are of honest fame,
For to be seene with thriftlesse men impayreth your good name.

Use modestie in all your words, despraise no man too much,
For lavish speach breeds great unrest in you and them you tuch.

Make you no shewe of such conceit how others you excell,
For if you doe, the wise will say, wit with a foole doth dwell.

Inforce your selfe silence to use when others tell a tale,
For babble then both troubleth them, and sets your wits to sale.

Have care to use some recompence where you beholding are,
For, trust me, with ingratitude no honest mynde can bare.

What so your friend commits to you be ever secrete found:
Who gives his toung much libertie doth all his body wound.

Beware of taylers curious cuts, for they will shake your bags;
The merrie meane I holde for best, tweene roysting silkes and rags.

The tipling taverne, and such like, to haunt have small desire;
Of all reports it is the worst to be a drunken squire.

Who quarels much hath care enough, with mischiefe oft he ends:
Saunce need throw not your selvs in brals, in need assist your friends.

Shun you the trains of wanton dames, whose bayts are sweet in tast,
But yet, in truth, helth, welth, and fame, the courtesan doth wast.

As high way unto beggerie beware of dogged dice;
The greatest cause of blasphemie, a vaine of filthie vice.

Out of the merchants jurnals keepe, buy sildome wares on trust;
Such usurie bites above the rest, do try it who so lust.

In neede make choice to sell out right, before you morgage lande;
What so befalls, looke for no grace at any cutthrotes hande.

Looke what you seale, read ere you seale; therein trust no mans truth,
And writings seald, keepe safe your owne, lest had I wist ensuth.

Have great regard to suretiship: all is not golde that shines,
Yet stretch your selves to help your friend with penurie that pines.

When wedlock life doth like your mynde, match with a vertuous mayde;
The mischiefe of the contrarie a plague next hell is sayd.

And married wel, the citie leave; sing then Pierce Plowmans song,
For women, usde to London once, will ever thether long.

Where so you live, have great regarde to use your neighbor well:
A good report, in my conceit, doth riches farre excell.

What some consume in painted pride good house keep you withal;
Relieve the poore in any case; let chaps walke in your hall.

Intreate your honest servant well, give him his hired due;
The flatterer, and the make bate wretch, in any wise eschue.

Account that wrangling in the lawe is enimie to rest,
A spoyle of fame, a losse of time, a theese that robs your chest.

This reckoning make, to serve your selves you are not only born;
Your countrie, friends, and children looke each one for som good turn.

Three sorts of men, with speciall care, salve you their needy griefe:
The scholer forced from his booke abroad to seeke reliefe,

The souldier spoyled in the wars, whose hassard works your peace,
And next the simple husbandman, who toyles for your increase.
So spend your time, as you may leave some monument of fame:
Preferre an honest death before a life prorog'd with shame.