of Socrates I fynde in an olde writer a moste vertuous example of Humilitie practised by the Kyng of Hungarie whyche on a time ryding in hys Chariot accompanyed wyth a troupe of hys Nobilitie preparing themselues to sundrye disportes and martiall feates of exercise glanced his eyes aside by chance and beheld a couple of auncient poore men that were trauelling on the way wherevppon he commaunded his Chariot presently to bée stayed and comming downe from thence marched alone to méete these two Pilgrimes whome he chéerefully saluted and humbly on his knées embraced and after muche familiar talke betwéene them had the King sente them forwarde on their iourney very richly rewarded himselfe returning to his chariot as ioyfull as if he had done some greate aduenture But this thing done by the King openly in the face of all the nobilitie and chief royaltie of the Court was amongst suche a multitude one cause of diuers effects the only occasioÌ„ of sundry offences in so muche as some maruelling at thys strange curtesie with admiratioÌ„ were verie much astonished Other murmuring grudged at the gifts so vaynely bestowed but chiefely the prouder sort of the nobilitie were gréeuously vexed with scornefull disdeyne at the facte amongst whome the Kings brother was one whiche presently vpoÌ„ their coÌ„ming home to the Court withdrewe him selfe closely into the Kinges chamber where finding him with oportunitie of tyme sayde these wordes Syr I let you vnderstande that the Lords and chiefe royaltie of the Court wonderfully mislyked the straunge enterteinment you gaue to the base beggers by the way imputing it rather to the plaine disgrace and prophaning of your royall Maiestie than to the vaine pretence of any better ende and thus much is spoken in secrete of me by nature your brother and by dueties your humble subiect The Kyng hearing these words gaue him hartie thankes for his labour dissembling his purpose vntill the euening when all the Lords were departed to their lodgings Then commauÌ„ded he the deadly trompe to be sounded at his brothers gate which by custome of that countrey was wont to gyue warning presently before the death of a Péere vpon iudgement not to be reuersed The sounde whereof strooke such a terrour vnto him and his whole familie that calling his friendes togither they lamentably mourning passed all the night looking for nothing but death And the morning was nowe come when with a sorowfull traine of mourners himself the kings brother clothed in sackcloth bare heade with his comely lockes negligently dispersed abroad gastly to behold with his eyes fixed vnto death came thus into the Court abyding in the hall humbly on his knées at the kings mercie wherof the king being aduertised came downe at length vnto his brother bearing him self ignorant of this tragical shewe wherof notwithstanding he him self had bin the chief author chearfully demaunded before them all what was the cause of so straunge an alteration in his brother which heauily tolde him the sounde of the trumpe had thus fearefully warned him to put him selfe at the féete of his maiesties fauour wherat the king smyling sayd And is this the cause of so great a terrour vnto thée the hither vnto vs thou art come so disguised can the feare of â—eath by the iudgemeÌ„t of man which is vnâ—ertaine so soone coÌ„fouÌ„d thy lofty corage But why didst thou then so skornefullye wonder at me which humbled my self yesterday when I beheld the liuely and expresse image of death whose force no man can escape in those auncient men whome for age I courteously salute was it not more fearfull to behold the figure of death than to heare the sound of a trumpe is it not lesse cause of wonder in me to obey the lawes of God and nature than in thée to feare the iudgement of man whiche is frayle Therefore I pardon and aduertise thée my brother that as thou haste bene ouer dreadfull of man heretofore so that thou reuerently feare God aboue all men hereafter With these and suche lyke wordes the good Kyng modestlye reprooued and friendlye chastised the proude surquedrye of hys owne brother to the better example of all the Nobilitie of his court A worthy mirrour of Humility in the Maiesty of a Prince an especial paterne of the rare clemencie and curtesie of a Kyng And thus we sée the state of Princes muche better by dignitie of vertues mainteyned than by the force of worldly pompe and riches strengthened and vphelde the fame of true nobilitie by gentlenesse curtesie fostered the wealth of subiectes by duetifull obedience increased and to conclude the towarde wittes and singular good capacities of younge Courteours by sufferaunce well furthered and through modest behauiour humilitie worthily to be aduaunced Of Company and fellovvship CHAP. 2. PYthagoras was wont to say that commonly in a multitude the number of the wicked is most the flocke of good men leaste How true the opinion of this Philosopher is by dayly experience it is too plainlye prooued For where there is one man in these dayes incouraged by the rewarde of vertue to search out the secretes of wisedom there be many times as many which no doubt allured by the smiling lookes of vanitie doe spend their whole time in the contemplation and practice of folly Hereof commeth slouth the onely nurse of néed pryde the chiefe authour of penury filthy lust the mother of all mischiefes And to be short what shame what sorrowe griefe sicknesse plague death and that is worse than death what seuile bondage doeth not this deceiptfull emulation and pestileÌ„t force of ill company procure But there is a more curious kinde of people sprong vp of late dayes amongest vs which are so farre from imitating of any man that they principally study to make them selues lyke vnto no man And bycause in the Court there be multitudes and many men must néedes be diuersly disposed it behoueth a young Courtiour at his entrance principally to be aduised in the choyce of his fellowship and company for surely it is the chiefe point first meanes to winne or loose creadite and estimation Let him remember the good Counsayle of the kyngly Prophete Dauid that saeith with the iust thou shalt bee made righteous but with the froward thou shalt learne frowardnesse There be some and I feare too many that knowe not what goodnesse meanes neyther will they come where honestie dwelleth vnthriftinesse is theyr hauntyng house vncleannesse theyr delight quarrellyng is their exercise disdayne their companion and swearyng their common talke So that a young Gentleman accompanyed wyth suche companyons shall soone with the spoyle of hys goodes be discharged of the waight of hys creadite for if hée haue ought they will wayt of purpose to make hym spende they will spare theyr owne to be liberall of hys vntyll all be gone then flyng about for a newe supplie by such another companyon which is a foule shift and a shamefull refuge By this meanes manye
able to withstande the force of shamefull death And thus you sée to vaine vitious nature the proude blossomes of your vntimelye fruit soone withered the strength of youre aucthoritie soone decayed and the beautie of your countenaunce soonest of all to be fledde forlorne and defaced And surelye if a man woulde but consider eyther the imperfections of nature the innumerable sorrowes of thys lyfe or the inuincible force of death no doubt hée shoulde be as earnestlye persuaded to folowe the rule of ryght and séeke out the secretes of wysedome as hée was first allured to swéete sinne and violentlye drawen into the schoole of follye But alas those which are in hell knowe not the ioyes of heauen and what hope of victorie is left to them that are alreadie conquered O strong selfe Loue and pestilent force of pryde what homicyde parricyde or what murthers haste thou not committed What flamyng fyres what warres yea what mischiefe haste thou not attempted Thou hast killed Princes poysoned Kynges and murthered most famous Emperours By thée strong Castles are rased townes spoyled Cities wasted and by thée countreys are lefte desolate And whither can the force of thy ragyng furie bée nowe further extended Thou haste vanquisshed men and wylt thou nowe exercyse thy tyrannye vpon brute beastes And woulde to GOD we myght all bée so well excused Thou haste wonne the whole worlde but doest thou meane to laye siege to the heauens or giue battyle vnto the Gods But remember thy Champion Lucifer what rewarde had hée for hys proude attempte Call to mynde the presumptuous buildynges of Nembroth and what successe had hée in hys enterpryse And forget not the proude Knyght Companius whiche being valiaunt and fortunate in warres had suche confidence in hys courage and suche faythfull truste in hys owne strength that hée scorned at those whiche after victorie obteyned dyd vse anye ceremonyes in worshipping of their Goddes callyng it a cowardlye affection that fearefullye craued helpe and supporte of shadowes but hée was sodainly consumed with fyre from heauen beyng in the forefronte of the battayle at the siege of Thebes These thynges considered maye soone coole the hote courage of pryde and moste horryble conceiptes of Surquedrye But the close affection of selfe Loue is more couertlye crepte into the opinions of men whiche thinke them selues by nature bounde and not forbydden by diuyne lawes to make muche of them selues And God forbyd but that eche man shoulde haue a prouident care to profite hime selfe But yet are wée taught by the commaundements of GOD to loue another equallye as our selues wée are instructed by the recorde of holye scriptures that all our actions ought to be done to the glorie of GOD And wée maye learne by prophane wryters that wée are not borne vnto our selues but that partlye our parentes partlye friendes partlye chyldren partlye kynsefolke and chiefelye our natyue countreye doeth chalenge a pryncypall duetie wherin the charitable loue and affection of vs all is ioyntly comprehended And this is more plainly perceyued by the comfortable vertue of societe without the which the life of man were naked tedious and vnpleasaunt For what auayleth it vnto a man to be the monarche of the whole worlde if he haue not subiects to gouerne if hée haue not a wyfe to increase his ofspryng if he haue not chyldren to honour and defende hym and lastly if he haue not friendes to reioyce with hym in prosperitie and to comfort hym in aduersitie Yea if hée be not happie straight wayes that hath all these things howe vnhappie is he then that wanteth so many goodly commodities And by this meanes a proude man is to bée thought most infortunate For when he begins to take an opinion of him selfe euen then is he first mislyked of others Where hée fawnes he is feared where he loues hée is suspected where he fauours most he is lest regarded Agayne when he frownes he is forsaken when hée laughes he is enuyed and when hée mournes hée is left desolate But hée is warye and wyse hée wyll trust none neyther shall he be trusted of anye hée is proude bycause hée is ryche but hée is poore in that hée is proude hée is strong in power but he is weake in wysedome hée is comelye in proportion but hée is deformed in condition Waye these thynges togyther in the true ballaunce of reason and you shall perceyue the wayght of sinne and heauie burthen of mischiefe able to sinke the strongest the comeliest and the proudest man alyue into the deadlye pytte of destruction Dionisius was wyse and yet hée beguyled hym selfe for hée was shamefullye murthered by the consent of hys wyfe Brennus was valiaunt yet coulde not withstande the wrath of the Gods. And Tarquinius was proude but pryde was the cause of this foule destruction And these be the fruites of selfe Loue Surquedrie But cease O cruell Kyng cease nowe at length thys thy ragyng tyrannye forbeare to vexe the myndes of innocentes with pryde and drowne no more vnhappie soules in the seas of selfe Loue and Surquedrie And yet why doe I thus gentlye entreate with a Tyrant why doe I pleade for peace with the chief authour of discorde And whye doe I call hym Kyng which is the father of mischiefe and mortall enemye to mankynde euer since the begynnyng of the worlde Euen hym I meane whyche brought the fyrst care and calamityes vnto Adam by the taste of an Apple For it is none but hée whiche couertly séekes by false prouocations to bryng vs vnto mischiefe It is hée that settes the spitefull plantes of pryde and hée that sowes the moste hatefull séede of dissention But hée nameth hym selfe the Prince of the Worlde howe shall wée than séeke to confounde hym Naye but hée is the Father of lyes and therefore we wyll not belieue hym hée is but a shadowe and why shoulde wée then feare him he triumpheth ouer worldlings lyke a Lyon but resist him stoutlye and hée vanisheth into nothyng Wylt thou learne to withstande the temptations of Sathan Then you must faithfully cleaue to the promyse of God whiche will not suffer the righteous to be cōfounded But thou canst not be righteous of thy selfe nor faythfull without humilitie nor humble without charitie For these vertues are vnyted and can not bée separated So that hée whiche woulde haue the fauour of the diuine Maiestie must néedes indeuour hym selfe to resist the strength and power of our vniversal enemye Neyther is it too late at any tyme to resorte vnto goodnesse nor too tymelye to preuent mischiefes Wée must vse no procrastinations and delayes to be vertuous For hee that is not readye to thinke well to daye will be more vnlikely to doe good on the morrowe And it is not enough to thinke ill of none but wée must in that we may doe good vnto all yea euen vnto our enemyes for thus are wée taught to doe good for euyl which are the fruites of perfect charitie Much lesse then ought we to disdayne
a mastye at a Deare a Greyhounde at a Beare Surely no more fitte and conueniente is it for a man to liue cōtrary to his own natural disposition It is harde to striue against the streame hop againste an hill and spurne againste the prick So the force of nature is inuincible which though she be resisted manye times for good cause yet she will neuer suffer hir self to be vanquyshed and quite ouercome And is it not reason that she which is the Authour of life shoulde giue counsayle in the order and good maintenance of the same should not the mother instruct hir childrē or doth not the opinion of the Iudge beare chiefe credite in the cause yes no doubte and so muche the sooner to be accepted by howe muche the more it séemeth to giue light and chiefe euidence to the truth of the matter but you will say the nature is corrupt therfore not méete to sit in place of iudgement in déed this reason is not light in other matters which séemeth harder to be confuted than maintayned if the consequente be true I coulde wishe it were nowadayes generally practised and approued but in this case I denye that nature of it self is corrupt nor vicious but custome nor hurtefull by anye meanes vnto it selfe and therfore not to be refused and it is manifest that discorde is in all things the authour of mischiefe wée sée that a kingdome diuided wythin it selfe cannot stande much lesse the man that is continuallye vexed with contrarie thoughtes and affections in his actes and operations can prosper Ther be diuerse parts and members of the bodie but the minde guideth them all into one kinde of motion Let vs take for an example that honourable state of mariage whiche by reason séemeth to be the firste steppe of Stabilitie for compassed by leasure and aduisemente it resembleth the ioyes of heauen and rashly enterprised it is equall with the tormentes of Hell it is only the treasure or discommodities prosperity or aduersity the only felicity or vnhappinesse of life wherein truely there is nothing so daungerous as the inequalitie of estates in such a stedfast knot and firme coniunctiō of two bodies for what likelyhood of condition can there be betwéen two of diuerse dispositions or what consent or agréemēt cā be foūd in ij cōtrarie natures whē one shal be lowly and the other lofty one ambitious the other curteous one chast the other incontinent one couetous and the other by nature churlishe And as the Wolfe cannot leaue to be rauenous nor vnthankefull swine learne to be curteous so the haughty Lion is merciful by kind the silly Lamb by nature innocent But we sée there is hard familiaritie betwéene any of these creatures bycause their natures be contrarie and therfore commōly they séeke one anothers destruction And as vnequal oxen can not wel drawe togither in one yoake so the match is marde where the mates are not like disposed and consequētly nothing els prosperous inuita Minerua to say nature not consenting And now to the second point of this deliberation there belongeth a dutiful regard in following the chiefe schoolemastresse experiēce vnto whose discipline instructiō wée haue bin longest accustomed For it is an olde saying Rome was not builded in one daye neither is any serious matter to be attēpted with ouermuche haste nothing is so hardly won which is more easily lost the strong hold or fortresse whose bulwarkes séeme to be inuincible at length with hard perilous aduētures is entred yet perhaps againe by slight policies in a momēt lost and recouered And next vnto Nature hir self Custome chalēgeth a large prerogatiue whiche in processe of time maketh hirselfe almost equall with Nature in force conditiōs For if we cōsider the whole regiment of the world which is by antiquitie of times principally directed in good things we shal find almost nothing in so large an Empire that is no subiect to the rule of custome first the generall fruite and propagation of kinde is by custome naturallye increased maintained by custome Emperours and kings are crowned by custome Knightes and Lordes created and by custome Iustice administred truth exalted dueties regarded Desertes rewarded mighte encouraged and to be shorte all kynde of good vertues easilye attayned and worthyly embraced the seruauntes of custome are these thrée Arte Vse and exercise and as these are by custome specially maintayned so by them al things also are vsually atchieued and from these commeth also experiēce which in any facultie or trade of life is most necessarie and herein appeareth the imperfection of vnskilfull youth whiche being ignoraunte of affaires sometimes enterprise to reach by a superficiall kind of knowledge vnto the practise of high mysteries too far aboue the slight consideration of their gréene capacities and in the ende in rewarde of counterfayte skill and presumption and fained holynesse they receiue the iust punishment of shameful reproch and confusion It is a common prouerb amongst vs he that maries in hast shal repent at leasure indéed a man can not be too chary in that choyce nor too circumspect in electiō of that trade wherein he meanes steadfastlye to run the whole course of his life if we doe entende to win friendship with any man sée howe circumspect we are in finding out his vain how curious in considering his cōditions and how nyce in fauouring his nature but doth it not stand vs more vpon in the maintenance of life to behold our owne properties and conditions for no man is borne wise nor any man can suddainely become happie but euen as in the spring time the naturall sappe and moysture of the trée breaketh out first into the blooming buds frō buds into blossoms and then frō blossoms by little and little into a more harder substance whereby it is better able to withstand the hurtfull blastes and bitter colde vntill at last it softneth agayne by the vertue of the Sunne when it commes to the perfectiō and ripenesse of the fruite so the naturall disposition of mankinde is first moued with affection to séeke knowledge then cunning is desirous to imitate the practise of vertues by the example of others that were famous and thus experience by custome bringeth a man at last to the full perfection of wisedome therefore the regard of cōtinuall experience in the choyse of mans life is most necessary Thirdly it behoueth man to be armed at all assayes against the change of tymes and mutabilitie of fortune for nothing in this life is stadfast permanent no countrey so rich that warres hath not wasted no quiet peace and tranquility so durable that discord hath not dissolued no beautie so diuine which by cloudes of care is not eclipsed no courage so stoute whiche by crooked age is not qualified and lastly no mirth no ioy no pleasure no pastime no loue no lust no kind of commoditie so perfect and permanent whiche is not by sorrowe care troubles enuie wrath mischiefe or misfortune made subiect to some change and alteration so that the minde is only constant whiche is content that man séemeth most happie that is patient as riches health honour alone without singular vertues maketh not fortunate so truth courage equitie bountie suche like without perfect rest and contentation of the mind cannot lay the plot foundation of Stabilitie for can we call hym riche that is couetous or courteous that is proude or noble that is scorneful no more can he be constant that is furious and fantasticall neyther ought any man to estéeme the choise of faculties trades of liuing to be the onely suertie stedfastnesse of life Sith that the giftes of nature and fortune both richlye possessed are not sufficient to the maintenance of felicitie for he is not to be accompted happie that is not absolute and perfecte of him selfe and coueteth more to encrease or feares any thing to be diminished And therefore Solon beyng demaunded of the rich Kyng Craesus what letted him to be called happie answered bicause he was yet alyue meaning that no estate of lyfe is frée from the bondage and yoake of sorrowe for neither Kings nor Princes can assure them selues stedfastly to stande in the good grace and fauour of fortune which by the example of Policrates was manifestly prooued whose estate was long tyme prosperous and so beautifully furnished with health wealth and pleasure that he began to be at defiaunce with fortune hir selfe and dispised the fawning fauour of Neptune that sent him his Kyng againe in the bowels of a Fishe which he had before wilfully caste into the sea being of great price to trye the friendshyppe of fortune But as the Sunne being at the highest must néedes decline by his naturall course againe So the blinde Goddesse whose lookes are like vnto brittle glasse that is not so bryght but it is assoone broken now beganne to shake the chaire of proude Policrates and assoone ouerwhelmed him in the paynes of helf whom shée had before hoysed vp into the ioyes and pleasures of heauen For of a King he became a captiue and of a happie man a most miserable wretche and so died at mischiefe And thus we sée by thys onelye example which maye be matched with innumerable of like sort that no life is certaine none estate stedfast and no cōdition nor any kynde of callyng without continuall cares troubles and aflictions And therfore I conclude that Pacience is the strongest armour of proofe to withstande the spitefull force of inconstant and variable Fortune FINIS Summum bonum Obediētia Pacientia Bias. Socrates Aristotl Hercules Hidaspis Fortitudo Comitas Antisthenes Psal. Poetae Philosophi Modestia Heliod Philautia Diogenes Simile Simile Hercules