In the realme of Ynde were .ii. chyldren. Whan one of them came to aege the kyng set hym to scole for to lerne scyence, & all the studyes of Ynde & had the best techers in all the provynces for to teche him in all the spede that coude be possyble as to a kynges sone belonged. But all the dylygences of his fader and other techers avayled nothynge nor coude make hym enclyne neyther by his mayster nor by his nature to lerne ony scyence nor arte but onely forgynge or smythes crafte, wherof the kynge merveyled, and sore troubled sent for all the wysest of his realme, and demaunded of them how it myght be that his sone wolde lerne nothynge but onely smythes craft. And they answered that the kynde of the chylde was of suche complexyon, and that he was inclyned to that arte and to none other.
Therefore dere sone Alexander dyspyse no man of lowe byrthe nor of small stature yf thou se ony scyence or ony wysdome in hym, and that he have also cood condycyons and maners in hym, and dooth exchewe vyces. Suche one so wel manered is worthy to be loved of prynces and kynges. And thou ought for to do nothynge without councell. And I pray the dere sone that thou love hym that loveth trouthe & that counceleth the faythfully & somtyme contrary to thyn opynyon. For suche a man is stedfast of courage, faythfull & Just to the & thy subgectes. And the councel of such a man is good to the governayle of the kynge & of his realme. Forthermore lette not thy besynesses that sholde by fyrst done be the last, &c., But do every thynge by councell & ordre. For councell is the shewer of all thynges to come. It is behoveful therfore that thou do all thy werkes by councell of faythfull & secrete councelers. For thy wysdom by the councell of them shall encrease, as the see encreaseth by the ryvers & floodes that fall in to it. And the better thou mayst wynne by the myght of warryours. It is founde wryten that a grete wyse man of Ynde wrote lettres to his sone in this wyse: `My well beloved sone, it is behovefull that thou beleve councell in all thy besynesses, for thou arte but one man. Take councel therfore of suche as thou knowest can gyve the good. And above all thynges spare not thy enmy, but whan thou mayst shew thy vyctory over hym. And ever be ware of the power of thy enmy. Trust not in thy owne wytte nor in the grete heyght of thyn estate, but ever take councel of other, which yf thou seme good & prouffytable accepte it, & elles not. And also I admosest the & councell the chefely that thou never make none of thy offycers thy lyeftenaunt onely, nor gyve hym thy myght, for his councel may destroy the, thy realme, & thy subgectes. And seke alway to his own prouffyt & thy undoyng. But thou ought to have dyvers offycers, & yf thou wyll assay and prove ony of them thou must fayne that thou hast grete nede of money. And yf he councel the to take of thy treasure & Jewelles for to spende he loveth the and is faythful to the. And yf he councell the to take the money of thy subgectes to make them poore he is corrupte & hateth the moche. But yf he be such one that wyl offre the his own goodes and say, ``Syr by the gyfte and grace of god I have goten some goodes I gyve them to the,'' suche ought to be praysed and loved best, as he which had lever to gyve his goodes awaye than the poore subgectes sholde be taxed and destroyed. Prove also thy offycers and yf thou se that ony of them dooth his offyce dylygently, and more for thyn honoure than he is commytted, thou ought gretly to trust in hym. And yf there be ony that delyteth in takyng of gyftes and gapeth for promocyon, & to gadre treasure, put not thy trust in hym. For suche a man is lyke a hurle pytte without botome, for the more that he hath the more he coveyteth to have. And suche one is the destruccyon of a realme many wayes. For peradventure the brennynge desyre that he hath to gete rychesses maye moeve hym to many evylles, and maye chaunce the procuracyon of thy deth. Yf thou perceyve suche an offycer, lete hym not be ferre frome thy presence. And suffre hym not to make treaty with straunge lordes nor prynces, nor wryte no newes to them. And yf thou doubt that he dooth the contrary, chaunge him without ony delay. For the courage of many men be soone chaunged, and lyghtly inclyned to do contrary thynges.' Also dere sone thou ought to cherysshe the offycer that loveth and moeveth thy subgectes to love the. And that putteth his persone and goodes to thyn honoure, and that hath these propryetees folowynge. that is to wyte that he be parfyt in his lymmes for to travayle in his offyce that he is chosen to. That he be courteys, lowly, and eloquent, and that his worde accorde with his hert. That he be a clerke wyse & well condycyoned, laborous & sober of mouthe in eatynge and drynkynge, not lecherous, nor player at dyce and other dysordynate games. That he be hardy, and set not his mynde on golde nor sylver, nor other thynge of the worlde, but that, that belongeth to the governaunce of the, and the realme. That he love the welth of his neyghbours as of them that be ferre. And that he hate all wronges, and by Justyce yelde every man his owne. That he be angry with them that do injuryes & extorcyons, & that he greve no man wrongfully. And that he be perseveraunt & stedfast in his purpose which is behovefull. That he be without feare and in good wyll. That he knowe the stynte of his expences. And that he prolonge nothynge that may be prouffytable to the realme. And that gyveth not thy subgectes cause to complayne of hym in doynge agaynst the comyn wele. That he be not ful of wordes, nor a grete laugher. That none be refused comyng to his hous. And that he be dylygent to here & enquese of newes and tydynges. That he comfort the subgectes and correct theyr werkes, & help them in theyr adversytees.