Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)

When thou art abroad, come not in company of blasphemous and riotous tosspots, behave thy self honestly, provoke no man to anger, despise no man, speak ill by no man, desire peace & quietness, honour all men, and strive to do good to every one. When thou art at home, help forward thy masters commodity, do not endamage him nor his affairs, if any man either hurt, or doth go about to hinder him, give him warning of it betimes: seek to appease & hide as much as thou canst, all occasions of falling out and chidings: what soever thou hearest at home, do not blab it abroad, and make no tales ⟨p. 154⟩at home, of that that thou hearest abroad. Be silent, quiet, chaste, continent, temperant, trusty in deeds, true in words, and willing to do any honest and household business. Beware of them by whom evil suspicions and offences may chance to arise. Do not over boldly dally with thy masters wife or daughters, nor yet with his maidens, do not stand familiarly talking with them in sight, or secretly. Imagine thou, (as it is in deed,) that thy masters wife is thy mother, his daughters thy sisters: whom to defile it is a filthy and villainous offence. Let every young man be neat, not nasty, gentle, just, content with a mean diet, not lickerish lipped, nor dainty toothed. But why stay I hereabout so long? Let every young man be persuaded and keep in memory, that his duty is to keep him self chaste from filthy defilings, to obey and not to rule, to serve all men, to learn always, to speak very little, not to brag of any thing over arrogantly, not to answer tip for tap, but to suffer much, and wink thereat.

When thou arte abroade, come not in companie of blasphemous and ryotous tosspots, behaue thy selfe honestly, prouoke no man to anger, •espise no man, speak yl by no mā, desire peace & quietnesse, honour all men, and striue to doe good to euery one. When thou art at home, helpe forwarde thy maisters commoditie, do not indamage him nor his affaires, if any man eyther hurt, or doth go about to hinder him, giue him warning of it betimes: séeke to appease & hide as much as thou canst, all occasions of falling out and chidings: what soeuer thou hearest at home, doe not blabbe it abroade, and make no tales ⟨p. 154⟩at home, of that that thou hearest abroade. Be silent, quiet, chaste, continent, temperant, trustie in déedes, true in wordes, and willing to do any honest and housholde businesse. Beware of them by whome euill suspicions and offences may chaunce to arise. Doe not ouer boldly dally with thy maisters wife or daughters, nor yet with his maydens, doe not stande familiarly talking with them in sight, or secretly. Imagine thou, (as it is in déede,) that thy maisters wife is thy mother, his daughters thy sisters: whome to defile it is a filthy and villanous offence. Let euery yong man be neat, not nastie, gentle, iust, content with a meane dyet, not licorishe lipped, nor deintic toothed. But why stay I hereabout so long? Let euery yong man be persuaded and kéepe in memorie, that his duetie is to kéepe him selfe chaste from filthy defilings, to obey and not to rule, to serue all men, to learne alwayes, to speake very little, not to bragge of any thing ouer arrogantly, not to aunswere tip for tap, but to suffer much, and winke thereat.