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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02315	A looking glasse for the court. Composed in the Castilian tongue by the Lorde Anthony of Gueuarra Bishop of Mondouent, and chronicler to the Emperour Charles. And out of Castilian drawne into Frenche by Anthony Alaygre. And out of the French tongue into Englishe by Sir Fraunces Briant Knight one of the priuy Chamber, in the raygne of K. Henry the eyght; Menosprecio de corte. English	Guevara, Antonio de, Bp., d. 1545?; Tymme, Thomas, d. 1620.; Bryan, Francis, Sir, d. 1550.	1575 (1575)	STC 12448; ESTC S103507	62,967	162

dyuers Noble and valiaunt men that left the Court and the great Cities and drewe them to their proper houses more by wil thā by necessity CHAPTER 18. The Authour complayneth with great reason of the yeares that he lost in the Courte CHAPTER 19. The Authour maketh account of the vertues that he lost in the Courte CHAPTER 20. The Authour taketh his leaue of the worlde wyth great eloquence To the right reuerend and worthy Prelate my Lorde VVillyam de Prat bishop of Cleremount Antony Alaygre sendeth greting IT is not many daies past sithens I beyng retyred for a time my good lord into the vilage and there taking the commoditie and pleasure of the faire sweet fieldes a certaine frend of myne sent vnto me a worke in the Castilian tongue of the lord Antony of Gueuera bishop of Mōdouent Chronicler of the Emperour in reading whereof I founde great pleasure and profit The title of the booke is the Dispraising of the Court and the prayse of the life rusticall dedicate vnto the king of Portingall in such sort that the better to keepe and to hold the wise sentence and erudiciōs therein cōteined I employed certain houres after supper to trāslate the same into frēch not thinking amōg mine other simple works euer to put it abrod but after that I had cōmunicate the same with some of my frends that haue knowledge of the Spanish tongue I thought it not good to leaue it in a corner to make it meat for Rats Mise Now for truth the first exēpler was so euil deuided and the leaues so out of order that I gaue charge to the Scriuener that was my nye neighbour to copy thē as who should say to write it faire and in order the which so euil went about it although by ignoraunce he could not ensue the originall yet for to gette a litle money he solde where his pleasure was the copies so vncumly set together that I was sory and repentant that euer I consumed the time to translate it till at the last moued by the persuasion of Annas Regin Vicar general and by Peter Cister your aduocate by them twaine my great frends I thought it better to present to the eyes of all men this euill translated then to suffer lenger those euill exemplers so corrupted to my blame in the handes of those that haue no right iudgement to know from whom the faulte came wherefore my good Lorde vnder your prudent fauor and correction I doe aduenture herein my name fame acording to my knowledge trustyng assuredly that your only name shall suffice to vanquishe and set aside this slaunder the which slaunder as enemie to learned men cease not to withdrawe those that haue good will and mynde to studie I saye this that as mee seemeth it is well worthy that worke of the wyse bishop of Spayne be presented to his semblable or superior in learnyng in Fraunce or rather aboue him knowledge and vertuous maners I will adde to this that the graue sentences and perswasion to vertuous lyfe conteined in thys booke deserue to bee offered to you that are accustomed to vse them after suche sorte that euery man haue playne opinion of you that yee are sent of God to bee protector and patron of vertue troubled and dispised Therefore my singuler good Lorde as one of the chiefest of the best sorte I dedicate to you this my little labour not that I thinke it worthy to come into your handes but for to be a perpetuall witnes that I do owe vnto you my seruice with al reuerence to the which most humbly I recommend me From your Citie of Cleremont this fyrst day of May. Anno. M.D.xlii A dispraise of the life of the Courtier and a commendacion of the life of the husbandman composed in the Castilian toungue by the reuerend father in God the Lord Antony of Gueuera bishop of Mondouent and Chronicler to the Emperour Charles And out of Castilian drawen into Frēch by Anthony Alaygre now out of the Frēch tongue into our maternall language by sir Fraunces Bryant knight one o king Henry the .viii. most honorable chamber The first Chapiter Of certaine Courtiers which ought to complaine of none but of them selues AFter that the noble prince Philip of Macedony had ouerrūne the Atheniens one a time he being at supper amonges certaine of his Philosophers asked them which was the greatest thing in the worlde One of them answered that to hys thinking it was the water because there was more of that onely then of any other thinge vnder the skye The greatest thing in the worlde defined by Philosophers Another said it was the Sunne séeyng his only brightnes doeth suffise to geue light to the yearth to the starres and to the water Another said it was the great hill Olympe whose heigth passeth the cloudes Another sayd it was the most renoumed gyant Athlas on whose sepulcre was builded the fear full mountain Ethna Another said it was Homer that in his life was so muche praised and after his death so muche bewailed that vii great cities made warre amonges themselues for the recouery of his bones to kepe them as a relike The last and most wise Philosopher said that nothing in this world ought to be called great Mans harte is the greatest thinge in the worlde but that hart which estemeth no great thinges O high and noble sentence since there by that it is geuen vs to vnderstande that as touching the riches honor of this world more is the glory of him that settes lyghte by them then hée that hath the cast for to get them Titus Liuius prayseth and neuer ceaseth to praise the good Consull Marcus Curius in the house of whome came Ambassadours of the Sannites for to recouer certaine landes that he had of theirs offering to him for the same plentie of Golde and siluer Hée hauing in hys hande certaine hearbes to put in his potte for his dinner answered them after this sorte ye should haue offered this money to the Capitaynes that disdayne to dresse their owne dinners and not to me that desireth no greater riches then to bee Lord ouer their Lordes Deserued not this Marcus Curius more prayse in setting light those talentes of Golde of the Sannites than the Consell Lucullus for robbing them of Spartes Deserued not the wise Crates more glory for the riches that he cast in to the Sea than the king Nabugodonezer for the treasure that hée robbed from the temple To your Iudgement did not they of the Iles of Bariares deserue more honor agreing not to haue among them neither gould nor siluer than the couetouse Greekes that toke by force and pilled the mines of Spaine was not the hart of the good Emperour Augustus more greate in setting light the Empire than of his vncle Iulius Ceasar that did take possession It is nedefull to haue wisdome experience to order it cunning to set it foorth and fortune to bring it to good

thinges as neither shall growe to their honor nor profite Many men say that they haue enemies recountyng them often without findyng number Although it be true if it be well noted that none haue oftener or a greater enemy than him self And the most greatest daunger that I sée Clyming causeth fallinge is that vnder the shadowe to preferre and make better my selfe my selfe is the cause of my destruction The Philospher Neotidas on a tyme being asked which was the best counsell that a man might take answered The counsell of others with the dispraisyng of his owne We must not stande in our owne conceit and he sheweth the cause for that the corrupcion of man is suche that often hee searcheth in him selfe with greate paine that whiche in the head of another hée fyndeth wyth great ease Then it foloweth that in the best tyme of our lyfe our owne lyfe deceiueth vs the euil commeth fourth on euery syde heauy thoughtes ouertake vs our frendes leaue vs A liuely description of the miseries of mans life persecutors torment vs troubles make an end of vs ambicion burieth vs. If wée beholde thys thyng what wee bée whereof we bée and wherefore wée bée we shall fynde that our beginnyng is obliuion our middle age trauayle the ende sorow and altogether an open errour Thē sée how heauy is the courtiers lyfe The courtyers life is full of perills as also howe daungerous the way is where as be stones to stumble at myer to sticke fast in yse for to fall on pathwayes for to lose hym in water for to passe thorow théeues for to be afrayd of great affaires and busines to doe so that hard it is for any to goe there as they would and more harde to aryue there as they desire All these thinges haue we sayd to the intent that the Courtiers may vnderstand that neither I nor they can chose the good way leaue the euil voyd that that hurtes vs and conserue that which profiteth vs folow reason and plucke away the occasion but if by chaunse some good fal to vs Blynde fortune praysed for prosperity and blamed for aduersitie we thanke fortune and if euill come to vs then we do put the fault in her The second Chapiter ¶ How that none ought to counsell a● other to go to the Court nor when he is there to come from it but euery man to chose the life that best he liketh ARistarch the great Philosopher of Theban sayd That tyme and man was so diuers that hard it was for the most wise to chuse that to them which was good and to kepe them from that which to them is euil One thing is not pleasant to all men There is nothing more true for we sée dayly with the same that one is healed another falleth sicke with that that one waxeth better another waxeth worse with that that one is amended another is put downe and to conclude with that litle thing that one is content withall another is in dispaire The lerned Alchymus was by his Moecoenas king Demetrius asked wherein specially did cōsist the greatest trauail of the worlde He answered ther is few thinges but in them there is either trauail or suspicion A minde neuer satisfied hath excessiue trauail but aboue all the mooste excessiue trauail that a man may haue is neuer to be satisfied And that this is true we perceiue that whē a litle thing contenteth vs how litle soeuer it be we make it our paradice with the rest of our life which seldome chaunseth to fewe men because that liuyng as we liue not being contented we would assaie and knowe if it were good to be a king a prince a knight a maried man No man contented with his estate a religious or a marchaunt a laborer a shepeherd or of some other estate And at the ende when al is proued it shal be harde to finde where we would rest so vnconstaunt is the lightnes of men The wise determineth that to chose the best is the meane A simple creature is lightly contented with a small thing The poore cōtente them selues with that which the riche mightie contemne but he that hath a great harte thynkes that pouertie is a greuous life like as they that be of high estate feare the fall of fortune Plato was in hys young yeres very worldely as he that had séene much aswell in the warres as in offices in whiche he was vsed and also in handy craftes On a time it was asked him wherin he had found most quietnes and rest He answered there is no estate of life wherein is not mutabilitie there is no honor where is no peril There is no roase without a thorne nor any pleasure but it is mixte with payne no riches where is no trauail no prosperitie but it endeth nor also plesure but faileth but whē all is said I neuer foūd so much quietnes of minde as since I left myne offices in Cities withdrawing me to my bookes signifiyng that as long as we liue seruauntes of the world we desire al we proue all we procure all then all thinges are well séene and tasted all thinges do anoye vs the greatest part of our disquietnes commeth hereof that the aboundaunce we haue séemeth to vs litle and the litle of others séemeth to vs much We mislyke all that we haue our selues and cōmend that which other enioye We saye that our wealth is trauayle and that the euill happe of others is rest we condemne others actes and wée allow our owne we watche to gette somewhat and sodeinly we sléepe to léese it agayne we imagine that all men liues content and we alone néedy And yet the worst is we beleue that we dream and put not our trust in that we sée before our eyen What way one ought to follow or what estate hee oughte to chose none can well knowe nor counsaile because the thyng is so troublesome and without good iudgement by which many are deceiued Mans life on earth full of troubles If the sailing on the sea be daungerous so is the walking on the earth troubleous As touching our lyfe we sée that he that is whole dayly falleth sicke the sicke dyeth some other scapeth deadly daungers some others lyngers forth to death Better is he that hal●●●th in the way then he that runneth out of the way As touchyng the waifaryng men assone commeth he to his lodging that goeth softly as he that goeth hastely and loseth his way He that is in fauor liuing in slothfull rest had as much neede of vpholding as he that continually sweates in trauail Therfore I conclude The certainty of all thinges is that all thinges are vncertaine that there is nothing in this worlde so certain as that all thinges are vncertaine Then let vs returne to that we spake of It is said that it is fearefull to coūsell any to marry to study to go to the war

forgotten The young léese their time The olde vndone This is the courtiers life He is not worthy to be a courtier vnlesse he bée in debte and owethe to the draper for cloath Debt becommeth a courtier to the Merser for silk to the taylor for the making of his apparel to the goldsmith for iewels for my Lord the courtiers lady to the Iudges for the disputyng of processes to the seruaūtes for wages to their hostes for their spence There is to much euil counsail euen such as is more then the halfe way leadyng to damnacion The .x. Chapiter ¶ That a man cannot liue in the court without to trouble himselfe or some other A Courtier doeth many things Fashion is the rule of the court more for to say I doo as other men do thē for any néede he hath so to doe He bankettes with euery man because he will not be called an hypocrite Playes because he would not be named a nigard and companies with many because hée wil not be named a solitarimā geues to rascal naughtie persons because he would not be euil said of thē All men seeke for a name A man in the court is full of pensiuenes and passions For it is trueth that it is appropried to them of nature that followes the court to bée incessantly tormented He must praise his felowes disprayse straungers and looke vnto them that do euil and blame them that doe wel and spend at large with his felowes and against the enemies spare not his owne proper life And all this must he doo because he will not be dispraysed In the court commonly one professeth to wait of one maister A courtier serueth many maisters but for all that he must serue at the taile of diuers other lordes O broken heart of the poore courtier that must néeds serue such as knoweth him not and make reuerence to them that deserue not to haue it and must say to my maister the officer an hundreth tymes a day Sir and if it please you And he shall answere when I am at leyser Euery officer in the court loketh for reuerence tary a whyle at the doore And yet we must call him maister that deserues it no more then the hangman that strangles a man with a halter O what pitie is it to see a poore suiter in his néedy busines folow the kyng from towne to towne euil norished Suters which follow after the court haue a colde sute and worse lodged The king hath busines the counsailer is defe the Almoner hath no hād and he that thou knowest hath no eyes Money maketh frendes And without money extreame paine the fiue wittes of nature be lame In the court albeit that one hath no enemies which is seldome séene yet is it truth that many tymes his owne frends put him out of quiet forasmuche as if the courtier will take rest in hys lodgyng they grunt at him because he will not goe see his frendes prouoke hym to goe folow the princes in the courte saying that the rascal and the varlettes mocke at him that he goeth not thether and shewe himself frée and liberal and when he is ariued at the court which is a naturall enemy to rest The court is a natural enemy to rest and a desire of nouelles then must he chaunge as doeth the Egipcian which euery day seeketh a new countrey a newe lodgyng new apparell and conuersacions busines and fashions of men Lo my frende and the reader of this This is the life of the courtier as it is here described and also of hym that liueth in the village the which sayd life of the peysaūts shall be much practised of many and chosen of a fewe because that euery man readeth bookes enough the more he readeth the lesse he chaungeth of his euil customes And to call to reason why it is so it foloweth that the court of princes is good but for two maner of men The court is good for two sortes of men for them that be in fauor and for the yoūg which be yet of a weak iudgement And those that be in fauor and doe wayte dayly sée themselues so rich so feared and so well accompanied that they féele not the payne of the court And the pleasure they gette thereby makes them for conclusion forget themselues yet notwithstanding for all thys The happiest courtiers are not without trouble it is impossible but that their braynes must be troubled because they be to much occupied for their houses are to ful of people their eares full of lyes their toungues to much troubled with answering of euery man their heartes to muche pressed to ayde and help them that they would helpe and other And finally the greater in auctoritie and credite they bée ye shall see them the more pensiue and the more astonied and for the most part sooner complaine then reioyce but commaund who commaund will haue credite who will the truth is There is no pleasure without rest be ioyned therewith none can take pleasure of his goods without honest rest Beside this those which bée sayd to be in fauor are euer in feare to be put down from their auctoritie And by that meanes are in continuall dread and torment the which is an enemye mortall to quiet and rest And the yong in like case as I haue said that be with out iudgement and blynded in vyces do not know nor sée the incommodities of the court nor care neyther for fauor nor honor but bounden and drownde in volupteousnes and vices passe the better parte of their dayes in the schoole that is nothing worth vnder the maister of pardicion The xi Chapiter ¶ That in the court those that be graue are praised and wel esteemed and the other that doe the contrary not regarded THe Courtier shuld not acquaint himself with vaine and ydle persōs that he be not reputed to be such as hee companieth withall For it had not béen enough for him to say he must néedes doe there as other doe and dissemble as other dissembles Neither behoueth it him not to cloke his naughtie doyng in goyng secretely to such as be naught for why the wittes of the courtiers are so fine that they knowe not onely what one sayeth but what he thinketh There is neither little nor great but men spye him whether he goeth from whence he commeth where he abideth with whom he talketh in whom he talketh in whom he trusteth and what he will doe so well that the curtens may hyde a person but to hyde the vises of the courtiers is impossible The courtier also ought not to brag and crake that thinges shal be as he would he may not presume to speake to the kyng and require audience as he himself lust for he that foloweth the court must be as one that hath no mouth to speake nor handes to be auenged withall Little loue is in the court beyng well assured