WHOSO wills to be wise and worship desires,
Learn he one letter and look on another,
Of the A B C of Aristotle. Argue not against that.
It is counsel for right many clerks and knights a thousand,
And eke it might amend a man, full oft,
For to learn lore of one letter, and his life save;
For too much of any thing was never wholesome.
Read oft on this roll, and rule thee thereafter.
Whoso be grieved in his ghost, govern him better;
Blame he not the bairn that this A B C made,
But wite[22] he his wicked will and his work after.
It shall never grieve a good man, though the guilty be mended,
Now hearken and hear how I begin.
Be not—
A too Amorous, too Adventurous, nor Argue too much.
B too Bold, too Busy, nor Babble[23] too long.
C too Courteous, too Cruel, nor Care too sorely.
D too Dull, too Dreading,[24] nor Drink too oft.
E too Elenge,[25] too Excellent,[26] nor too Earnest neither.
F too Fierce, too Familiar, but Friendly of cheer.
G too Glad, too (vain-)Glorious, and Gelousy[27] thou hate.
H too Hasty, too Hare-brained, nor too Heavy in thy Heart.
J too Jetting,[28] too Jangling,[29] nor Jape[30] not too oft.
K too Kind, too Keeping, and beware of Knaves’ tricks.
L too Loth, too Loving, nor too Liberal of goods.
M too Meddling, too Merry, but as Measure asketh.
N too (an-)Noying, too Nice,[31] nor too New-fangled either.
O too Overbold, too Overthwart,[32] and hate thou Oaths.
P too Praising, too Privy[33] with Princes or dukes.
Q too Quaint, too Querulous, and Queme[34] thy master.
R too Riotous, too Revelling, nor Rage too Rudely.
S too Strange, too Stirring, nor Stare too strangely.
T too Toiling, too Tale-bearing, for Temperance is best.
V too Vengeful, too Envious, and (a-)Void all Villainy.
W too Wild, too Wrathful, nor Waste, nor Wade too deep.
For a Measurable Mean is best for us all.
Learn this or go Lacking.[35]