Hermes the Philosopher

Be mirry and glaid, honest and vertewous,
Ffor that suffisis to anger the invyous.

BE mirry, man ! and tak nocht far in mynd
The wawering of this wrechit warld of sorrow ;
To God be hvmill, and to thy freynd be kynd,
And with thy nychtbouris glaidly len and borrow ;
His chance to nycht it may be thyne to morrow.
Be blyth in hairt for ony aventure,
For oft with wysmen it hes bene said aforrow,
Without glaidnes awailis no tressour.

Mak the gud cheir of it that God the sendis,
For warldis wrak but weilfair nocht awailis ;
Na gude is thyne saif only bot thow spendis,
Remenant all thow brukis bot with bailis ;
Seik to solace quhen sadnes the assailis,
In dolour lang thy lyfe ma nocht indure ;
Quhairfoir of confort set vp all thy sailis :
Without glaidnes availis no tresour.

Follow on petie, fle truble and debait ;
With famows folkis hald thy cumpany;
Be charitabill and humyll in thyne estait,
For warldly honour lestis bot a cry;
For truble in erd tak no mallancoly;
Be riche in patience, gif thow in gudis be pure ;
Quho levis mirry, he levis michtely :
Without glaidnes availis no tresour.

Thow seis thir wrechis sett with sorrow and cair,
To gaddir gudis in all thair lyvis space,
And quhen thair baggis ar full thair selfis ar bair,
And of thair richess bot the keping hess ;
Quhill vthiris cum to spend it that hes grace,
Quhilk of thy wynning no labour had nor cure ;
Tak thow example and spend with mirriness :
Without glaidnes availis no tresour.

Thocht all the werk that evir had levand wicht
Wer only thyne no moir thy pairt dois fall,
Bot meit, drynk, clais, and of the laif a sicht,
Ȝit to the iuge thow sall gif compt of all ;
Ane raknyng rycht cumis of ane ragment small;
Be just and joyws and do to non ingure,
And trewth sall mak the Strang as ony wall :
Without glaidness availis no tresure.

Quod Dumbar.