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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	find_v	king_n	law_n	2,835	5	4.8368	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16306	The cities aduocate in this case or question of honor and armes; whether apprentiship extinguisheth gentry? Containing a cleare refutation of the pernicious common errour affirming it, swallowed by Erasmus of Roterdam, Sir Thomas Smith in his common-weale, Sir Iohn Fern in his blazon, Raphe Broke Yorke Herald, and others. With the copies of transcripts of three letters which gaue occasion of this worke.	Bolton, Edmund, 1575?-1633?; Philipot, John, 1589?-1645, attributed name.	1629 (1629)	STC 3219; ESTC S106271	30,252	83

or Monopolies of the citie more worthy of their acknowledgement if where now they are denominated of some particular ware or craft they were named of Eagles Vultures Lions Beares Panthers Tygers or so forth as the seuerall orders of the Noble in Mexico which Iosephus Acosta writes vnder their Emperor yet much better because more truly these fellowships of London cary the names of men as they haue vocations in professions which onely men can execute Or they would peraduenture thinke more noblie of them if those societies were denominated of Eyes eares hands feet or of other members as Philostratus in the life of that impostor Apollonius Tianaeus saith the officers and instruments of a Philosophical King in India were But as those were called of their King his eyes eares and so forth so haue these mysteries some one or other professor in each among them from the higher trade to the lowest eminently designed out with the addition of King as the Kings Mercer the Kings Draper and so forth Againe how much more worthy the whole is then the parts because the parts are in the whole so by that argument it is more honourable to be marshall'd as a man among societies of ciuill men then to be distinguisht by allusions to particular members At leastwise those singular Gentlemen might certainin their most contempt of the City remēber that of Plato Nemo Rex non ex seruis nemo non seruus ex Regibus and that also rare and reall worth may bee in the persons of Citizens themselues seeing Terentius Consul of old Rome with that noble Paulus Aemilius was free of the Butchers company and our Walworth Lord Maior of old London was free of the Fishmongers And they were not onely the Lords Knights and Gentlemen of Rome who had voice in election of their principall yearly Magistrates but euen handycrafts-men and Artificers as is most manifest by that place of Salust in his Iugurthine warre where Marius was chosen Consul by the speciall affection of that sort of Roman Citizens who saith he sua necessaria post illius honorem ducebant preferred his election by their voices before the trades by which they earnd their liuings Finally they may remēber that in the posterity of Citizens many right noble and worthy Gentlemen are often found and that besides the vniuersall mixture with Citie-races thorow the Kingdom it may not be denyed that true nobless shineth often very bright among thē For they are Companies of free Citizens in which soueraigne Maiesty it selfe is incorporated making them at once to be sacred as it were and certainly magnificent For euen as where the Sun is there is no darknes so where soueraign Princes are interressed parties there is no basenes And as the Philosophers Medicine purgeth vilest metals turning all to gold so the operation of Princes intention to ennoble Societies with his personall presence transmetalls the subiect and clearly takes away all ignobilitie Which things as they are most true in London so for that the Emperour Constantinus magnus if our ancient Fitz Stephan reports the right Henry King of England sonne of king Henry the second and that braue great Prince Edward the first and whosoeuer else were borne in the Citie they giue to it the glory of Armes and Ieffrey Chaucer Sir Thomas Moore knight with others borne in London communicate thereunto the glorie of wits and letters To nourish vp both which most excellent titles to reall nobilitie in the Citie the Artillery-yard and Gressam Colledge were instituted 8 Thus this question of Honor and Armes vndertaken at the instance of interessed parties but more for loue to that great Citie and her children being by Gods assistance and as we hope sufficiently discussed the end of all is this that albeit the loue of humane praise and of outward splendor in the markes and testimonies of it are very vehement fires in all worthiest natures yet haue they no beatitude nor so to say felicitation but onely as with referment to this of the blessed Apostle Soli Deo Honor Gloria Amen I haue viewed this booke and perused the same and finde nothing therein dissonant to reason or contrary to the Law of Honor or Armes William Segar Garter princip King of Armes Errata In the Epistle to the Masters For iuice of ingratitude read vice of ingratitude In the Epistle to the Prentises For preying read prying For honourable all read honorable strangers all Page 5 For larger volume read leger volume 17. For discouser read discourser 19. For ciuill Art gouernment read ciuill Art of gouernment ●ad For most an Art of encrease read most ancient Art of encrease 20. For a would read as would 23. For ouer-slaue read ouer his slaue 38. For fasteth read fastest 51. For you are read you as are 55. For controll all read controll of all 57. For Ramme read a Ramme 58. For certaine read certainly

among their owne and villanous euerywhere But you none of that caitiue and vntrustie number are the parties for whom this labour hath been vndergone whose behauiours full of gentlenesse and of bounden dutie to superiors commend you to the present times and maintaine in you that stocke of good hope out of which are in due time elected those successions of the whole which make the politicall bodie or state of a Citie immortall Thinke therefore with your selues that by how much this most friendly office tends to your more defence and praise by so much you are the more bound to beare your selues honestly and humbly In your so doing the Citie of London which before Rome it self was built was rockt in a Troian Cradle by the founder and Father thereof as the most ancient extant monuments setting all late phansies aside beare witnesse heroicke Brute or Brytus vnder Claudius Caesar the Metropolis of the Trinobants vnder other Caesars afterwards Augusta or the maiesticall Citie which for hugenesse concourse nauigation trade and populosity very hardly giuing place to any one in Europe doth absolutely excell all the Cities of the world for good gouernment or at least doth match and equall them that very London so venerable for the antiquitie so honorable for the customes so profitable for life noble in renowne euen beyond the names both of our Countrey it selfe and of our nation the birth-place of Constantine the Great and inmost recesse or chamber of her Kings that very City that very London whether your locall parent or louing foster-mother shall not grace or honor you more then you shall grace and honor her and England also VALETE From Sir WILLIAM SEGAR Knight GARTER principall King of Armes of ENGLAND a speciall Letter to the Author concerning the present worke Sir I Haue viewed and reuiewed your book with good deliberation and find that you haue done the office of a very worthy Aduocate to plead so well for so famous a Client as the City of London in her generality which as I gratulate vnto her and to all interessed parties so I shall much more gratulate to her and you the honour and vse of so faire a labour if I may once see that publike And for my part considering that you define nothing but lye onely vpon the defensiue and affirmatiue against assaylers and denyers with due submission for the iudiciall part to the proper Court of Honor the illustrious high I see no cause why your learned worke may not receiue the glory of publike light and that most renowned Citie the benefit of honors encrease for incouragement of enriching endustrie And so with my hearty respects I rest Your very louing friend WILLIAM SEGAR Garter THE TRVE COPIES OF the Letters mentioned after the Booke The first letter from the Citizen in the behalfe and cause of his eldest sonne to a speciall friend of whose loue and learning he rested confident Right Worthy Sir IF hauing beene at no small charge and some care to breed my sonne vp in Gentleman like qualities with purpose the rather to enable him for the seruice of God his Prince and Countrey I am very curious to remoue from him as a Father all occasions which might either make him lesse estemed of others or abate the least part of his edge I say not towards the honesty of life onely but towards the splendor thereof and worship also my hope is that I shall not in your worthy iudgement seeme either insolent or vaine glorious Truth and Iustice are the onely motiues of my stirring at this present For as I mortally hate that my Son should beare himselfe aboue himself so should I disclaime my part in him if being vniustly sought to be embased he sillily lost any inch of his due He hath beene disgraced as no Gentleman borne when yet not hee but I his Father was the Apprentise thankes be to God for it They cannot obiect to him want of fashion they cannot obiect to him the common vices badges rather of reprobates then of Gentlemen They cannot obiect to him cowardise for it is well knowne that he dares defend himselfe nor any thing else vnworthy of his name which is neither new nor ignoble But mee his poore father they obiect vnto him because I was once an Apprentise Wise Sir Thomas Moore teacheth vs vnder the names and persons of his Eutopians that victories and atchieuements of wit are applauded farre aboue those of forces and seeing reuerence to God to our Prince commandeth vs as his Maiesties booke of Duells doth affirme not to take the office of iustice from Magistrates by priuate rash reuenges I haue compelled my sonne vpon Gods blessing and mine to forbeare the sword till by my care he may be found not to be in the wrong For if it be true that by Apprentiship we forfeit our titles to natiue Gentrie God forbid that my sonne should vsurpe it And if it be not true then shall be haue a iust ground to defend himselfe and his aduersaries shall stand conuicted of ignorance if not of enuie also These are therefore very earnestly to pray you to cleare this question For in the City of London there are at this present many hundreds of Gentlemens children Apprentises infinite others haue beene and infinite will be and all the parts of England are full of families either originally raised to the dignity of Gentlemen out of this one most famous place or so restored and enriched as may well seeme to amount to an originall raising And albeit I am very confident that by hauing once beene an Apprentise in London I haue not lost to be a Gentleman of birth nor my sonne yet shall I euer wish and pray rather to resemble an heroicke Walworth a noble Philpot an happie Capel that learned Sheriffe of London Mr. Fabian or any other famous Worthies of this royall City out of any whatsoeuer obscurest parentage then that being descended of great Nobles to fall by vice farre beneath the rancke of poorest Prentises In requitall of your care in this point you shall shortly receiue if I can obtain my desire out of the records monuments of London a Roll of the names and Armes of such principall friends as haue beene aduanced to Honor and Worship throughout the Realme of England from the degree of Citizens A warrantable designe by the example of the Lord chiefe Iustice Cooke who hath bestowed vpon the world in some one or other of his bookes of reports a short Catologue of such as haue beene eminently beholding to the Common Lawes and if I should faile in that yet doe I promise you a list or Alphabet of Apprentises names who by their enrollments will appeare vpon good Record to haue beene sonnes of Gentlemen from all the parts of England Neither let your approued vertue doubt but that in the meane time you shall finde vs very ready to shew our free and honest mindes in all commendable and disenuious emulations with the best

onely but true descendents from the most vnquestionable noble races howsoeuer troubled perhaps with some little of the spirit of vanitie and of too too much scorne of others But as the Italians in our time notwithstanding they thinke meanely of all who are not Italians calling them in Aristotles humor Tramontani and in that word implying them to be barbarous doe commit an error aswell as that great Philosopher so those Gentlemen how eminently noble soeuer will be likewise found to liue in errour for that others also may bee truely Gentlemen for any thing which as yet is spoken in the former Sophisme videlicet The Master hath power ouer his Apprentises bodie Ergo Apprentises are a kinde of bondmen Because if such a power bee enough to constitute a bondman wee will say nothing of those free-borne persons being in minoritie whose bodies their Guardians may not onely by a right in law fetch backe after escape or flight but giue away also in mariage Nay if for that reason Apprentises borne Gentlemen shall bee thought to haue forfeited their Gentry in what estate are all the sonnes and children of good houses in England whose bodies their parents by a right of nature may fetch back after flight exercise their pleasure or displeasure vpon thē euen to disinherison Nay in what case are souldiers to whom most properly and most immediately the Honor of Armes doth belong who for withdrawing themselues from their banner or Captaine without leaue may not only be forced backe to serue but according to the vsuall discipline of warre may be martiall Law bee hanged vp or shot at the next tree or wheresoeuer depriued of breath at once and of braue reputation together So absurd it is to dispute that the power of a Master by the title of a contract ouer the body of an Apprentise in case of discipline doth conuince a seruilitie of condition in the sufferer For if the right to exercise corporall coerction should absolutely constitute a state of bondage in the subiect the iniurie of that vntrue assertion would reach to persons of farre higher marke then City-prentises as is most plainely proued And therefore they must alledge somewhat else besides subiection of bodie to draw the estate of Apprentiship into that degree of reproach which as they cannot doe wee hauing preuented those obiections so must they leaue it cleare from taint or scandall 8 We lay it downe therefore out of all the antecedences for a cleare conclusion That Apprentises are so farre from being a kinde of bondmen as that in our Common-weale they then first begin habere caput and to be aliqui to bee of account and some bodie For Apprentiship in London is a degree or order of good regular subiects out of whose as it were Nouiceships or Colledges Citizens are supplied Wee call them Colledges according to the old Romane Law-phrase or fellowships of men for so indeed they are comprehended within seuerall corporations or bodies of free persons intended to bee consociated for commerce according to conscience and iustice and named Companies each of them seuerally bearing the title of their seuerall worthy Monopolies as Drapers Salters Clothworkers and so forth Wee say as before that Apprentises in the reputation of our Commonweale when first they come to bee Apprentises then first begin to be some bodie and that Apprentiship is a degree to which out of youth and yong men who haue no vocation in the world they are aduanced and that out of Apprentises by other ascents or steps as donari ciuitate to come to bee free of London or Citizens from thence to be of their companies Liuerie the gouernours of Companies as Wardens and Masters and gouernors in the City as Common-counsel-men Aldermens-deputies Sheriffes and Aldermen and lastly the principall gouernour or head of the Citie the Lord Maior yea sometimes also Counsellors of Estate to the Prince whereof Master Stowe hath examples are very orderly elected and the whole policie disposed after as excellent a forme as most at this day vnder heauen 9 True it is that Apprentiship as it is a degree so is it the lowest degree or classe of men in London Lowest wee say that it may come to the highest according to that of S. Augustine and of common sense that those buildings rise highest and stand fasteth whose foundations are deepest And as Apprentipish is the first in order meanest in dignity so can that be no title to embase the vocation because there must be a first in all things Of this degree the flat round Cap haire close-cut narrow falling-band course side-coat close-hose cloath stockings and the rest of that seuere habite was in antiquitie not more for thrift and vsefulnesse then for distinction and grace and were originally arguments or tokens of vocation or calling which point of ancient discipline the Catoes of England graue common Lawyers to their high commendation therein retaine in their profession and professors at this present euen to the partie-coulored coates of seruing men at Serieants Feasts An obiect far more ridiculous among the new-shapes of our time enemie of rigour and discipline then that of Apprentises At which retained signes and distinctiue notes among Lawyers though younglings and friuolous nouices may somewhat wonder till the cause be vnderstood yet is the thing it selfe so farre in it selfe from deseruing contempt as that they who should offer it would themselues bee laughed at For the late Lord Coke in the preface of his third booke of Reports hath affirmed for the dignitie of the word Apprentise that an Apprentise at Law is a double reader whose degree is next to that of a Serieant at Law who is only inferiour to a Iudge and to no other degree of Lawyers 10 Here now let me be bold to say that Apprentises seeme to haue drunke and sacrificed too deepely to their new Goddesse Saint Fashion An Idoll which was alwayes noted fatall to the English As at the periods or vniuersall concussions of Empire in our portion of great Britaine may in old Writers bee obserued This they doe not without wrong in our opinions to the honestie of their degree at leastwise in so farre abandoning their proper ornament the Cap anciently a note of libertie among the Romans as not to haue one day at least in the yeare wherein to celebrate the feast of their Apprentiship in the peculiar garbe thereof which they should doe well and wisely to frequent for downe-bearing of contumelie and scorne by making profession in this wise that they glorie in the ensignes of their honest calling 11 For reuocation of which into vse though wee see no manner of hope yet are those late Magistrates of the Citie who laboured to reduce Apprentiship to practise this laudable point of outward conformitie not the lesse to bee commended and it were to be wished perhaps that instead of scattering Libels and of discouering inclinations to tumult Apprentises had rather submitted their vnderstandings and resigned their wills