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Of kynges secretaryes.

Dere sone it behoveth to chuse the a secretary for to wryte & knowe thy secretes; he must be a man of grete wysdome and well lerned, for to understande thy mynde. He ought to be trusty and eloquent and that can speke dyvers languages for to put thy besynesses in goodly ordnaunce and semely speche. For as a fayre garment honoureth the body of a kynge, so goodly speche arayeth and indeweth a lettre. And also he must be trusty to hyde & kepe close thy doynges. And that he suffre none to come to the place where thy wrytynges be & that none se them. Swete sone such persones ought to be cherysshed & well rewarded for theyr servyces. And exalte them in suche wyse that they be always dylygent in thy necessytes & nedes. For in them is conteyned thy glory and honour, or thy lyfe & destruccyon.



tashid 2001-09-09