Edward Pudsey's commonplace book with extracts from Shakespeare's plays (fragment at Shakespeare Birthplace Trust)

Counsell                        Ant[i]machiavel

The sinews of wisdom ys, not to beleeue Lightly.
Men do imitate the Prince. Herodian:
The Counsell of one alone ys perillous to the prince, because naturally
men are diuers ways passionat and that which shalbe gouerned by
one alone is oft by passion guyded, also the indisposicion of mens
persons causeth that only one hath not always his head well made
(as they say) nor are wise at all seasons: And mens spirites as well
as their bodies are Iouirnalles, & haue their changes, ^for from the wysest
sometyme do escape straing & absurd opinions
Counsellores shold be as equal kept as might bee, for if more be
Comitted to one then to another hee wilbe master & the otheres dare not
reason against him freely, or els knowing his inclinacion dare not
Contradict him. such a one wilbecom master of his master.
No euill wordes so soone moue to anger as them that bee true.
The worlde imputeth the euill gouering of Princes to their Counsellores & Servantes
Yt is a perillous thing to wound our Conscience to please our affections, that is to off
end the mistresse to please the Chambermaides.
Machiavelli         
3 maxim    
He that is driuen from his countrey draweth to that prince which will receiu
him not for any good affection hee beares him, but as it were cons=
trayned by necessity, & therfor hauing no other affection but his
own proffit he betrayeth the Prince which hath taken him into fauor
so soone as any other Princ offereth him more proffit, whatsoeuer faith
or promise hee hath sworn vnto him.
By right of nature hee h ought to rule who hath the more able spirit
to know how to Comand well & he that hath the lesse able ought to obey Arist[otle] & Hesiodus
ffaith as variable as their fortune measuring faith by their proffit & losse

                                       Religion
A well ordered Charitye begins at [] it self say the machiuelists
Alexander seuerus had for his poesie a deuise what thou wouldest
not should bee don vnto thee, doe it not to another.
The kind of ffraunce termes the vniuersitye his daughter.
Atheists in Court language are called men of service.
Caligula wold be termed a god after his death one did eat of his
flesh to proue yf the flesh of the godes were of a good taste . Dion  
Heat & moisture 2 qualities consisting in all liuing creatures without which &c.
The sunne cause of heat & moone of moisture.
As wee see many not satisfyed with knowing the errors where in they weere
wrapped, but also the haue well desired to know the truth which the ought to hold so &c.
At the Coming of our sauior Iesus Christ gracles fayled, as the Coming of the same
causeth darknes to depart from the earth.
The Court of room best alchumist for they chang lead into gold