according to his minde Wherevpon drawne by a soden and mutuall affection they gaue occasion eche to other to visite one another so often as conueniently they might And so great was the curtesie of the Phisition that not suffering my brother to take the paines to visite him hee came the nexte day and founde him at the Table but newe dyned After that withdrawing themselues into a little closet where I vse to haue a fewe small bookes rather for a shewe then for studie they there passed a great parte of the day which they continued the three nexte dayes following with many notable discourses which my brother to pleasure tooke recount vnto me in the euening following for that I thought them so well seasoned that they might long time bee preserued to the profite of posteritie euer since my brothers departure vntil this present I haue been gathering together their discourses which in effect were like to these which followe heere Guazzo Anniball I Greatly giue GOD thankes Maister Annibal for that hauing visited mée with a long and perchaunce a curelesse disease to cleanse my wretched soule of some wicked humour he ministreth also meanes vnto mée sometimes whereby I may passe away my euill with lesse annoy as this day I doubt not but I shall haue by meanes of your acceptable presence whereof I receiue more assistance and contentment than I am able to expresse Annib. I haue cause Maister Guazzo to thinke well of you for many causes but chiefly I féele my selfe forced thereto for that I sée you take your sicknesse of the hands of God most good and full of power from whom all thinges procéede and to shewe a Christian modestie in laying the fault on your selfe that certesse is a thought sutable to the crosse you beare on your breast But I will not héerefore commende you so much but that I must reprehende you a little and beare with mée if I speake plainely vnto you for that you call this your disease in a manner curelesse and séeme to distrust that hée which hath sent it you cannot likewise rid you of it Touching the opinion you haue of my presence I wil neither blame you nor praise you for it But you may assure your selfe that in steede of those signes of good will which I cannot shewe outwardly I beare you an inward affection in my heart readie prest to doe you seruice But I pray you make not strange to let me vnderstande your state not as a Phisition for that as nowe would stand you in small stéed but as a friend from whom you ought not to hide your mishaps Guaz. My brother hath alreadie promised me of you al that may bée looked for of a skilfull Phisition and singuler friende But for that I am to returne into Italy at a season more conuenient for the cure of those which are sick I ment to haue stayed till then to open vnto you my woundes and amongst the rest those of the heart which I féele oppressed with so great melancholie that in my fancy I had good reason to say that my euill is perhaps incurable séeing it hath wéeried to no purpose almost all the Phisitions of Paris and Fraunce Annib. Touching the infirmitie of the body in déed it is requisite of necessitie to stay till the Winter be past to heale it if vrgent necessitie constraine you not to vse more spéedie remedie but to the maladie of y e mind you ought at al times to apply apt remedies indeuouring so much as you may possibly to be méerie to tread vnder foote al irksome thoughts which molest you Guaz. I do verily as you aduise me willingly imploy all the time my bounden seruice will spare mée all the leisure I can get in some honest pleasure but for al that I cannot forget nor driue away my troublesome thoughts Annib. One that is sicke ought chiefly to consider the things that helpe him and the thinges that hurt him to the ende to eschewe the one and insue the other And therefore I should thinke it good you shoulde call to your remembrance such thinges as you haue founde by long experience to haue increased or diminished this your anguish of mind or melancholie as you please to terme it Guaz. I remember I haue plainly noted that the company of many is gréeuous vnto me and that contrariwise solitarinesse is a great comfort and ease of my trauels And though for the seruice of my Prince I must of force bée conuersant not only with other Gentlemen his seruants but also in the Cour to discourse and deale with diuers persons of diuers countries nations yet I do it against the heart I goe to it as the Torteise to the inchauntment for I féele it a great trauell to my minde to vnderstand other mens talk to frame fit answeres thereto and to obserue suche circumstances as the qualitie of the persons and mine owne honor require which is nothing els but paine and subiection But when I withdrawe my selfe into my lodging either to reade or write or to repose my self then I recouer my libertie and let loose the raines thereof in suche sorte that hauing not to yéeld account of it selfe to any it is altogether applied to my pleasure and comfort Annib. Doe you thinke to recouer your health in continuing long that solitarie life Guaz. I dare not say so Annib. It is now that I begin to feare least this maladie be perchaunce incurable Guaz. And I nowe begin to know by your words that you are that plaine felow you told me you were But if those which should put heart into me discourage mée how shall I bée able to comfort my selfe Annib. Goe too Gentleman take heart at grasse for your euill is easie to bée cured Guaz. You haue in your hands the weapons of Achilles with the which you both woūd heale but it must néeds be that of these two contrarie propositions the one be false Annib. Both the one and the other is true For all the Phisitions not only of Fraunce but of all Europe no not Esculapius himselfe by any medicine either simple or cōpound can without great difficultie giue you the least helpe in the world so long as you ceasse not as I sée you doe not to procéede in your doings contrarie to their prescription minde On the other side I can assure you aswell by that you haue told me as by certain signes which I begin to discrie in you that your euill is easie to bée cured for that the medicine is in your owne handes whereby in short time you may bée restored to your health And to speake héereof more plainely I must néedes tell you that to exempt your selfe out of this euill you must first giue your selfe to cut of the cause and originall thereof Guaz. Howe shall I cut it of if I know it not Annib. I will let you know it your euill commeth of the false imaginatiō you haue by meanes wherof like
yet euerie one commendeth it in heart and I promise you that among so many cities countries and nations as I haue trauelled I neuer yet found man so fierce and sauage which hath not suffered him selfe to be coyed and clawed with the tickling of flatterie and by long experience I haue noted that all persons of great valour and of the best wits take a singuler pleasure no lesse to flatter others then to be flattered them selues You are not ignorant that if you minding to extol me cam and tolde me that I were a strong wrastler or an excellent musition I should thinke you mockt mee because no part of those partes are in me but when you shal commend me for writing a fayre hand or a pure stile or for any thing else concerning my profession I shall for manner and modestie sake make some curtesie to accept your commendation but in my minde I shal be well apaide of it as well for that I perswade my selfe that all which you shall say of me touching those matters is most true as for that naturally I am desirous of praise and commendation And I remember I haue read that Themistocles beeing asked what woordes vttered on the stage pleased him best answered those which recount my prayses And this desire is common to al men who are so licourous of honour * that onely to heare themselues exalted maketh them besides theÌ„ selues for ioy Like as Demosthenes did who passing before two waterbearers and hearing theÌ„ say softly one to another this is y e famous Orator Demosthenes turned back stood a tiptoe to make himselfe the better seene as who say I am euen he But what speake I of Demosthenes How many are there * who without measuring their merit or considering whether they be praysed rightly or without cause suffer themselues willingly to be deceiued and take in good part these praises * And on the contrarie how many doe we see and perhaps I my selfe am one of them that take it heuily and in a manner angerly if they beé not magnified * Yea I wil say more vnto you that if one of these Gnatoes of whom you haue made mention should fall to commending mee and bend him selfe to set mee foorth in the best colours hée coulde vndoubtedly I shoulde become a very Thraso and I shoulde willingly listen vnto him making my selfe beléeue that though hée vsed to flatter others yet he dealt plainly with mée Yea I should can him thanke for it and wishe that all my friends and kinsfolke were present to heare it Tush Maister Annib. Flatterie is the way to make friends and winne preferment and I am perswaded that hée which knoweth not howe to glose and flatter knoweth not howe to behaue himselfe in companie I hearde once a French Lorde say to his friends flatter mée and ye doe me the greatest pleasure in the worlde * And there is no man but knoweth that as bitter reprehension is the beginning of enmitie so gentle adulation is an entrie to amitie * But if you thinke that flatterie doeth often make men do amisse I am of the contrarie opinion for as hee which is worthilie commended is thereby the more incouraged to goodnesse so he that séeth himselfe praysed without desert acknowledgeth to himselfe his vnwoorthinesse indeuoureth by his déedes to become worthie of such praise And if flatterie were a fault discréete fathers and schoolemaisters would not vse it towards yong children who notwithstanding they do not speake reade write sing or daunce or any such like exactly and perfectly yet their fathers or maisters cease not greatly to extol that which they doe to the ende to incourage them to goe forward from good to better You sée also that nature hath planted a certaine kinde of fawning flatterie euen in the hearts of litle infants who runne and imbrace kisse their parents and friends when they woulde obtaine any thing at their hands yea and hath taught it vnto beggers who to haue our aâ—mes importune and flatter vs with faire wordes and pitiful spéeches Moreouer consider these sine Oratours what glauering spéeches they vse and howe they teach men to insinuate by coloured wordes to créepe into mens boosomes and to winne the fauour of Princes Magistrates Neither wil I omit the example of politike louers who to winne the good will of their beloued terme her both in talke and letters sometime Mistresse sometyme the heart of their life sometime their soule sometime their hope with such like flattering names Yea they will not sticke to sende her to Paradise giuing her the tytle of a Goddesse and calling her beautie Angelicall and diuine her téeth Perles her lippes Corall her hands Iuory and as the Poet sayth Her heires are glistering Golde Her face the driuen snowe Her lids are of Hebene tree Her eyes two Starres doe showe The worlde to make it short is full of flatterie and is maintayned by flatterie and at this day it is more in fashion then picked beardes or great ruffes You sée howe all persons to the intent to auoide contention and to bee acceptable in companie sooth one an other not onely by speaking but by holding their peace and séeming to consent to other mens sayings In déedes likewise double diligence is often vsed as though wée sée the garmentes of our maister or friend verie cleane without spot or mote yet to picke vs a thanke wée will not sticke to rubbe and wype them with the lappe of our cloake as if there were dust or durt vppon thâ—m Againe there are some who whyle others speake though they giue no care at all vnto them yet they nodde their heads and abase their eyes and with signes séeme to holde vpp their yeas and nayes which is nothing else but méere flatterie You know also that we naturally hate cauillers and Sophists who at euery woorde wil ouerthwart vs and as they say séeke knottes in Bulrushes and howe on the other side those which séeme to consent to our sayings eyther in wordes or iesture wée repute them for our friendes wee beare them great affection and loue to bée in their company taking their flatterie in stéede of curtesie and good will In so muche that we count him eyther enuious or proude whiche doeth not sooth vs in all thinges and so greate is our vaineglorie that when men commende vs though wee thinke it farre aboue our desert yet wée attribute it rather to the great abundance of good will then to the fraude of flatterie You shall neuer heare any giue the lie to an other for prayses which hée shall wrongly and falsely slaunder him withall but béeing puffed vp with pride and vainglorie with a mery looke hée maketh answere The good will which you beare mée causeth you to say so Therefore not without reason a certaine Flatterer being aduised to speake the truth answered in déed A man ought to speake the trueth to him that will heare it but who is hée But neuerthelesse take this with
his course in the skie one while sheweth a face couered with clowdes and when those misty vapours are blowne awaye it sheweth it selfe cleare and brighte And as it beseemeth the mayster abroade and in the presence of Straungers to cast a graue and sadde looke vppon his seruauntes so it is his parte beeing retyred into his owne house to looke more pleasauntlye vppon them and to speake more familiarlie vnto them which is a thing they loue of life and are thereby incouraged to doe him good seruice And if the maister be a gentleman that hath in his time done seruice to some Prince hee ought to call to mynde howe gladde Courtiers are onelye of â— good word or of some suche like small fauour of their Prince You see then how a Mayster may with his honour shewe curtesye to his Seruauntes and thereby gette their good will and loue whereby also ioyntlye is purchased their loyaltie and fidelitie a thing moste necessary for his honour and profite but for so much as sufficiency as we haue sayd must be ioyned to loue and fydelitie I commit the charge to the maister to instruct his seruaunt in it Guaz. Why then you will make the mayster a schoolemayster of his seruaunt Annib. Nay rather of himselfe and that he learne to commaunde for if he can commaunde well he shall bee serued well neyther must hee perswade himselfe that his Seruauntes ought to discharge him of all his affayres but that he must take part with theÌ„ consider that it is no easy matter to gouerne seruauntes and that the greater number of them he shall haue the greater will his trouble bee to guyde them for there fall out many housholde quarrels and contentions where there are many seruauntes Guaz. Wherein I pray you consisteth the maner of commaunding well Annib. In two thinges whereof the one lieth in wordes the other in deedes Touching wordes hee must thinke that there is no seruaunt so well framed to the seruice of other Maysters but that he must be fayne to receyue newe Lawes of his new Lord and to knowe of him howe hee shall proceede in his doinges that hee doe nothing contrarye to his will and pleasure and therefore he must not thinke that at y e first dash his seruaunt is made to his bowe but hee must leysurely and pacientlye let him vnderstande his mynde and speake freely vnto him as well to make him leaue his olde fashions which perchaunce hee liketh not as to frame him to his owne fancye And if I were to take a Seruaunte I would rather choose a fresh water Souldyer whiche neuer had serued then one accustomed of long tyme to seruice for those whiche haue serued in manye houses haue for the moste parte gotten the habite of some ill qualitie which they wil hardly be brought to leaue but one y t is but rawe in seruice sheweth himselfe more tractable more gentle and more fit for al manner of seruice the maister commonly will be better pleased with his good will then wyth the others skill Guaz. I allow well of your opinion for it is a thing too hard to change the manners of an old seruingman who sooner changeth his haire then his habyte which he hath gotteÌ„ yet a maister for a time must be faine to vse great patience and take great paine with a yong seruingman Annib. It is true but to be lesse troubled let him be sure to choose one of a good wyt and fit for seruice Guaz. The Count Hector Miroglio our friend had one day good triall of the good wit of a new come seruant for hauing sent his other seruauntes about other businesse after he had made him dresse vp the house hee willed him to couer the tâ—ble which he did and though that day he â—yned alone in his Chamber yet his seruaunt set two trenchers on the table two stooles by one agaynst the other The Count sayde nothing to it but suspecting the meaning of his man attended the ende of the play meate being brought in so soone as his man had giuen him water hee sate him downe which he had no sooner done but his man hauing likewise washte sate him downe righte ouer agaynste him The Count beeing as you knowe naturallye giuen to bee merry yet he kept his countenaunce and let his man alone Hauing eaten a whyle friendly togeather the man began to bethink him how his mayster might perchance be athirst wherevppon hee sayde vnto him Mayster when you will drinke I praye you make no courtesie to commaunde mee whereat the Count began to laugh so hartilye that the poore â—oole knowing his fault rose to fetche him drinke but would sit downe no more Annib. This Countrey surely in my opinyon bringeth foorth no good seruingmen Guaz. I thinke the cause of it is for that in this place Princes â—â—â—ldome keepe their Courtes where Seruingmen â—heefelye learne good behauiour besides that our nature is such that we make our selues more familier with our Seruauntes then they doe in other places neyther take wee anye great care to be serued honourably neatly and reuerentlye whereof it commeth that Seruaunts are vnskilfull and vntoward in their behauiour Annib. Yet I must saye this for our Seruauntes though they be noâ— all of the ciuillest yet they are faythfull trustie which is a thing more to bee set by then ciuilitie fynenesse or brauery Wee perceyue then to returne to our purpose that the Mayster who will be well serued must not be sparing of his speeche as well to commaunde what he wil haue done as gently to instruct his seruaunt in that wherein he is ignoraunt by telling him of his fault Nowe hauing touched the commaunding of Maysters in wordes wee must speake of their commaunding in deedes The Mayster commaundeth his Seruaunte in deedes so often as by his example and deedes he inuiteth him to immitate him And therefore if hee will haue his Seruaunt carefull and diligeâ—â—e in his seruice hee must likewise bee carefull aboute his businesse for there is nothing that more awaketh the Seruauntes then the diligence of the Mayster as on the other syde it is impossible the Seruauntes shoulde bee diligent if the mayster be negligent And therevpon it is sayde That the eye of the mayster fatteth the Horse Touching whiche purpose a Philosopher beeing askte whiche was the waye to make Laude bring good store of Corne aunswered For the mayster to walke often aboute it for the Mayster must thinke that his seruauntes will thinke theyr laboure lighte when they shall see him take suche parte as they doe Moreouer he must make his account that they will follow him as well in naughtinesse as in goodnesse and therefore hee must bee as fearefull to gyue them ill example as carefull to giue them good example The Mayster also commaundeth well when he knoweth to vse his authoritye in suche sorte that he is better serued with the turning of his eye then others are with iniurious and threatning wordes wherewith
vs who was as happie while hee liued in solitarinesse as hée was after miserable and griefefull when hée was in companie I could héere rehearse vnto you many persons who knowing that the vanities of the worlde Conuersation amongest men were impediments to the seruice of God their owne saluation haue ioyfully left their proud Palaces their great riches their high degrées the companie of their familie friendes and parents to cloyster vp them selues in poore Monasteries there to ende their life in holinesse and patience But if the examples alreadie recited bée of no force with you looke vpon the doings of Christ who being to make his prayers vnto GOD his Father went vp to the mountaine béeing too fast kept him selfe solitarie and got into desertes at the death of Iohn Baptist. Now if we wil consider besides the seruice of God howe muche the solitarie life auaileth to our instruction and happie life we can not but curse whether it were Saturne or Mercury or Orphey or Amphion or whosoeuer it were who gathered assembled together into one bodie the people scattered abroade in Forrestes and Mountaines where they followed nature in stead of lawe not crediting the subtile persuasions of other but their owne giltlesse conscience and leading a loyall simple and innocent life had not yet whetted their tongues to slaunder their neighbours gaue not their mindes to cruelties neither had infected and corrupted their manners with the contagion of vices which began to growe hot in the Cities and assemblies of men And for that cause you sée that naturally all persons indued with knowledge and vertue to auoyde the common sort which delighteth in company withdrawe them selues with great pleasure into by-places and distant from the people to haue leasure for their goodly and laudable contemplations And if this be true as no doubt it is that the Philosophers excell all other men so farre as light doeth darknesse it is a plaine case that to saile surely in the déepe sea of diuine Philosophie wée ought to take wary heede to flie more then Scylla and Chaâ—ibdis the Conuersation of men as they did not only getting themselues out of the prease of people but setting light by and refusing the gouernment of common weales and those chief honours and offices which ambitious men goe all day long with great labour and are canuassing and crauing for And though it shall séeme perchance vnto you that Conuersation and companie is naturally desired of all men yet remember your selfe of the sentence which once you brought against me which if you be an indifferent iudge ought to haue place against your selfe in the same case which is that a man must not make reckoning or account of the multitude of people which either for the desire of some vaine pleasure or vile gaine or fickle and transitorie promotions are alwayes in companie and Conuersation and heerein we ought to followe the opinion of the Philosopher who at his returne from the Bathes being asked whether there were in them any great number of men answered no and a litle after as one asked him if there were good store of people answered yea Wherefore you must agrée with mée that if Conuersation yéelde pleasure or profite it is for the most part to the ignorant and carelesse to whom solitarinesse is a kinde of torment for that being alone they are good for nothing but to count the clocke which they thinke goeth too slowly Wherevpon riseth the saying That leasure without learning is a death and sepultary of a liue man which neuer happeneth to the learned who then only liue when being sequestred from others not men if I may lawfully say it they get themselues into this earthly Paradise of solitarinesse where they féede their minds with the most pleasant Necter of lerning Neither is it any thing ridiculous which Diogenes merily and mistically did who going to the church doore as the people went out thrust into the midst of them and at length got into the Church saying it was the part of such as he was to be alwayes coÌ„trarie to the multitude which was to shewe that we ought according to the saying of the Poet To folow the fewer sort and not the common crue And that ment Pythagoras when he said He kept not to passe by the coÌ„mon way I could alledge vnto you many other things in prayse of the solitarie life which is by good right reason singular for that it is alone the right life acceptable to God and godly men a friend to vertue an enemy to vice the true â—nstitution and forme of life So that for my part most commonly I remaine solitarie and say alwaies in my heart as that holy man saide The Citie is to me a prison and solitarinesse a Paradise But I will héere stay to heare your opinion of these my reasons Annib. You haue swarued nothing at all in this discourse from the dutie of a perfect Courtier whose propertie it is to do all things with carefull diligence and skilfull art mary yet so that the art is hidden and the whole séemeth to be doone by chaunce that he may thereby be had in more admiratioÌ„ And so taking that course you haue here coÌ„mended solitarinesse partly by reasons deriued from your owne good wit partly by y e doctirine you haue learned of some famous writers specially of Petrarch Vida of whose name authoritie you haue made no mention because you would hide that glorious doctrine which some y t are learned vse to discouer in hauing alwaies in their mouth the name assoone of some Philosopher assoone of some Poet assoone of some Orator But yet you could not in suche sort couer this cunning but that I perceiued it was thereby occasioned greatly to commend your discrete iudgement Now for that I am of a contrary opinion to yours it standeth mée vpon to answere from point to point to the reasons which you haue brought whereof the first if I be not deceiued is grounded vpon the seruice of God our saluation wherto in your opinion Conuersation is an hinderance which truly I will not sticke to graunt you if you bée able to prooue mée that the seruice of God is only perfourmed by the meanes of solitarinesse But I am sure you will not denie me that he hath left vs many commaundementes by his owne mouth for the execution whereof Conuersation is necessary For you cannot goe to visite the sicke to reléeue the poore to correct and admonishe your brother to comfort the afflicted if you remain alwaies mewed vp And therefore if you will haue solitarinesse serue to appease the wrath of GOD and to obtaine fauour at his handes you shoulde say that it is profitable and necessary onely for the time appointed for prayer But for all that I will not graunt you that it is a matter of necessitie that wée should be euer alone when wée pray for where our Lorde saide wée should enter into our
you that as trueth getteth hatred so flatterie winneth loue and bréedeth good blood in so much that hée which should take flattery out of the worlde shoulde take away al humanitie and curtesie For then we should not salute him whom we take to be our enemy wheras now we sée that he biddeth vs good morrowe with his mouth which wisheth vs much sorowe in his heart But what will you haue a man doe * We must by their example giue them mery lookes and fleer in their faces we must play the Foxe with Foxes delude art with art * And as it is a fault stifly to stand in contention w t ones friend so is it a vertue to know how to giue place yeld in giuing him the vpper hand Like as the wyly Anichin did in Boccace who suffering a Gentlewoman to mate him at chests therby made him selfe her mate at better sport * By these reasons therefore I conclude that to winne fauour happily to atchiue our purposes we must alwaies haue praysing and pleasing wordes in our mouth * and wée must count it commendable to extol both by woords signes the dooinges of others and to giue them tha◠which euerie one gapeth after Annib. You haue very wittily commended set foorth flattery but for that I am altogether differēt in opinion frō you because I will not be thought a Flatterer I wil oppose my self against the reasons which you haue alleged And first I say vnto you that men for the most part are Flatterers of themselues making themselues beléeue they are that which they are not * With which folly Princes are oft times blinded like as Domitian was who was neither afeard nor ashamed to cause him selfe to be called Lorde and God Of whom a flatterer writeth these wordes to his glorie but to his owne shame The Edict of our Lorde and God Likewise Alexander suffering this madnesse to enter into his head thought it not enough to be a man and a King and to haue the title of great but he would on Gods name be called the sonne of Iupiter neither was he wel pleased with those which did not sooth him in it Whereof his mother complained saying Hée woulde bring her into disgrace with Iuno for making her a Cucqueane But at this diuinitie a certaine Philosopher who had no skill in flattering made a scoffe who séeing his Phisition in his sicknesse prepare for the recouery of his health a certaine supping or broth sayde Our God hath put the hope of his health in a messe of broth so that those whiche loue them selues so without measure * willingly giue eare to flatterers of whom they thinke they are praysed when in trueth they are but flattered And therefore no meruayle though flatterers are so acceptable Yet notwithstanding men of discretion which knowe them selues and their desertes though naturally they are desirous of prayse yet they loue not to be flattered or praysed without cause for so much as false prayse is naught els but mockerie and therefore I thinke you not so gréedie of glorie that if in the recitall of your prayses I should intermedle any thing which were not true you would can mée any great thanke for it but would blame mée either in woordes openly or in your heart secretly Guaz. Sée howe you are wounded with your owne weapon for in commending me for one who like not to bée commended aboue my deseruing you attribute a vertue vnto me which is not in mée and shewe your selfe a flatterer and a flouter Annib. You are deceiued and it is you your selfe that haue receiued the wounde for hauing alreadie sayde that if a flatterer prayse you you will not take him for a flatterer towardes you and nowe not allowing me to attribute vnto you a vertue which you déeme your selfe to haue you are contrary to your selfe and make me appeare a true dealer and no flatterer Besides that when I say I take you to be such a one that séeketh not prayse without desert this is no commendation but rather a good opinion that I haue of you This were a commendation if I did affirme absolutely that you were suche a one as woulde giue no eare to flatterers Wherefore my woordes hauing no signification of prayse they can not receiue any interpretation or suspition of flatterie Nowe following our purpose I say againe That a wise man doeth neuer agrée to the false prayses of flatterers who resemble altogether the Fishe Polypus for as that Fishe chaungeth colour according to the obiect that it incountreth so they alter their opinions according to the appetie of the hearers and they are termed by an auncient Authour enemylike friendes for vnder their pleasaunt sugred woordes they kéepe hidden a bitter venomous meaning * in like manner as the hooke is hidden vnder the bayte or the Serpent amongest the flowers Neither are they vnlike the Butcher who claweth the Hogge with his hande to the intent to come conueniently to laye his Béetle vppon his pate Neither is it to bée saide that flatterie woorketh any good for that a man commended without cause indeuoureth to deserue it for a cunning flatterer setteth the garmentes so artificially vppon the backe of him whom hée disguiseth withall that the seames shall not bée séene and betaketh him selfe in suche sorte to thinges like to bée true that hée maketh them taken for true in déede And albeit some famous writers haue intreated of the meanes to discerne a friend from a flatterer yet is it in my opinion verie harde that I may not say impossible to attaine to that knowledge as well for that the worlde is full of these tame beastes as also for that it is harde to discerne the euill which resembleth the good And therefore it was well sayde of a wise man That as the Woolfe is like to the Dogge so is the flatterer to the friend and that wée must take héede to mistake least thinking to set our selues in the kéeping of Dogges wée fall into the deuouring of Wolues But be it so that you féele the smell of false praise yet notwithstanding you shall not féele in your selfe that remorse and desire of deserte which you speake of for this false prayse hath a showe of trueth and is bestowed vpon you as due and deserued I come nowe to the example of parentes who as you say flatter their children to incourage them to vertue and of children who on the other side flatter their parentes to wring some thing from them and I say vnto you That these twoo cases differ The first is not in trueth flatterie for that there is no deceit in it Guaz. Doe you not deceiue a childe when he hath lept but a litle way and you tell him hée hath leapt excellently wel Annib. It is a good kinde of deceit which tendeth to a good ende and which is profitable to the partie deceiued as wée Phisitions deceiue sometime our Patients in giuing them the iuyce of Pomegranates in stéede
is nothing els but to giue vs a gudgin and floute vs like credulous fooles but in the end they doe penance for their fault for being once knowne for cogging and lying mates they are neuer after credited though they tell the trueth which this saying sheweth The Liar neuer is beleeued although an oth he take the honest euer is beleeued although a lye he make I denie not but that it is commendable to coyne a lye at sometime and in some place so that it tend to some honest ende Guaz. There commeth to my mind touching these kindes of lyes a pleasant example happened in the Court where I knewe a Princes sonne being about twelue yéeres old who in behauiour and good conditions surpassed al other his equals in the Court but hée had one childishe fault which neither by admonishing neither by reprehending neither by threatning hée coulde bée made to leaue Which was this Hée woulde through negligence suffer his nose alwaies to be sneueled tooke no care to wype it while his gouerner tooke paines to amend this fault there coÌ„meth on a time to this child to craue his deuotioÌ„ a poore old man whose nose by some infirmitie was become meruellous great deformed ful of pimples precious monstrous the childe with a certain feare mixed with compassion was much mooued at it whervpon his discrete gouernour began to say vnto him that hée had knowne that poore man a long time and remembred hée had séene him in his youth with a little nose well fashioned and sound but that afterwarde the sneuil and filth for want of wyping and making it cleane had brought it into that case The childe was put into such a feare by these words that hee began foorthwith to spit and to blowe and wype his nose in such sort that hée neuer after néeded to bee put in minde of it And therefore this lye was profitable to the Prince and commendable for the gouernour Annib. It is very true and as suche lyars are to bée praised so the other are to bée blamed and to bée registred amongest those which are neither to bée desired nor auoided Besides there are certain curious felowes to be discommended which trouble euerie one in vsing alwaies this worde Wherfore being desirous to enter too farre into other mens matters which is perchaunce a fault greater then it is taken for for there is neuer any curious person but hée is likewise malicious and besides ouer talkatiue playing the tale bearer from one to another and therefore the Poet blameth him which is inquisitiue of that hée hath nothing to doe withall Guaz. As I remember I haue read of one who carying a present vnder his cloke and béeing asked what hée caryed there answered Doe you not sée howe it is of purpose couered for feare least you shoulde knowe it Annib. I remember I haue read the same and another like thing of king Antigonus who passing by his armie entered the Tent of Antagoras the Poet and hauing founde him seethyng certaine fiâ—hes saide vnto him Doe you thinke that Homer medled with the séething of fishes while hée wrote the déedes of Agamemnon To whom the Poet answered Thinke you that Agamemnon buzied about the execution of his enterprises was curious to knowe whether there were any sodde fishe in his Campe But if curiositie bée blameable in worldly affaires it is detestable in matters of religion and therefore wée are admonished not to séeke to knowe thinges which belong not to vs to knowe Nowe as the curious are neither to bée desired nor auoyded so ought wée to account of the ambitions Guaz. Your opinion is then as farre as I sée that ambition bringeth foorth euill effectes Annib. Why who knoweth not that Guaz. Mary I for my part sée not howe it worketh other then good for that it wakeneth drowsie spirites driueth away slouthfulnesse and fearefulnesse styrreth vp the minde to the vnderstanding of commendable thinges and to the executing of couragious enterprises and heaueth those that followe it to the high degrée of dignitie and honour Annib So long as a man passeth not those bounds he ought not to bée tearmed ambitious but couragious for so much as these same are works commendable and vertues but that can not be saide of those which procéede naturally of ambition which altogether bereaueth them of rest which set no staye to their restlesse desires which filleth them full of pensiue care blindeth their vnderstanding rayseth them aloft to the intent to throw them downe headlong to breake their neckes and bring them to destruction And therevpon it is saide that Lucifer through pride and ambition fell from heauen desiring rather to commaunde then obey And it is saide by an other That ambition is the crosse and torment of the ambitious And therefore when I saide that ambition is the cause of many abuses I ment not those men which knowing their owne valour aspire to high enterprises and honours which by the instinct of nature we all couet for that honour is the rewarde of vertue and counted a diuine thing But my meaning is of the ambitious who without taking any paine without doing any thing méete for a noble minde and without any foundation of deserte séeke in companie to goe before others and to be placed aboue others Guaz. Those in trueth are to be detested and I know some of them who * at the entring in at the dore or at the sitting downe at the table make hast to set their foote before others and are verie sorie when others vsurpe ouer them that foolishe preeminence not knowing that the place neither giueth nor taketh away vertue Annib. Those which doe so perceiue them selues litle accounted of and perchaunce knowe verie well that no bodie will say vnto them I pray you sir goe before But it is great glorie and a signe of great desert when that honour is done to one without striuing for it and it is most certaine that he which setting aside all ambition humbleth him selfe beneath others is of best estimation and of best education But women fall chiefely into this vanitie and héerevpon there often ariseth amongest them the best sport in the worlds for none of them béeing willing to giue place and euerie one of them being ready to take place they occupie the way and the vpper roomes as it were by force and withall you shal often heare amongst them one say my husband is a Doctour an other mine is a Gentleman an other I am descended from the Troyans an other maketh vaunt of her dowry and her iewels wherwith shee boasteth her selfe to be able to buy the other out of house and home in such sorte that if the husbandes fall to deale in these quarrelles they will neuer be decided or determined without blowes Guaz. And what thinke you of the ambition of those men who are neuer mery nor in any countenance but when they haue a great traine of seruing men at their tayle and if they chaunce
yet they are all proportioned together and make one onely bodie in like sort albeit there be diuerse kindes of entertainemente and conuersation yet in the end we shall perceiue that they agree together in such sort that they séeme in a manner one onely sort and perchaunce more easie then we thinke for Wherefore to make the matter more easie we will deuide conuersation into publike which is abrode with strangers and priuate which is at home in the house And for that both is more then we can dispatch to day I thinke it shall suffice for this time to discourse onely of publike conuersation and the other we will reserue for to morrowe Guaz. I looked that you would first haue spoken of this latter for that by order of nature we begin conuersation in the house with those that bée of houshold with vs and after wée learne to conuerse abroade with others Annib. When in our yesterdayes discourse I proposed vnto you conuersation aswel for the health of the minde as the body I meant of publike conuersatiō out of which especially the fruites and perfection wée haue spoken of are gathered and therfore to day wée will speake of that which concerneth our principall purpose Returning then to my discourse I make good that by meanes of ciuil conuersation a man may not onely cléere himselfe of cowardly abiection and vaine presumption but besides cloath himselfe with the knowledge of himselfe For if you consider it wel the iudgement which wée haue to knowe our selues is not ours but wée borrow it of others for so much as when wee are by diuers persons aduertised blamed reproued or by signes made more aduised for some fault which wée commit either in word or déed at y e length we are contēt to submit our selues to the common opinion of al men come to acknowledge in our selues some imperfection which wee indeuour to correct after other mens iudgement And though it bee harde to finde one that will tell vs flatly the truethe yet there is not any at the least béeing a priuate person so blinded in him selfe but if hée bée faulty any way by frequenting the companie of others hée shall either haue occasion offred him to examine his owne conscience and so of him selfe to finde his owne fault or else at one tyme or another there shal bee one or other whiche if not in way of good will yet in manner of mockerie or of scorne or of spyte or by one way or another will make him to vnderstande his fault And as these same as it were against their wills are driuen to amende their manners and life so you see many of good iudgement and lesse ouerséene in themselues who without tarying vntill they bee reprooued of others are mooued of their owne proper will to waygh diligently the sayings the dooings and the behauiour of others And as they learne to eschue those thinges which they sée to bée vnséemely in any so they indeuour to followe and appropriate to themselues those things whiche are commendable in others so that by Conuersation they become markers and imitatours of wise men and such as are patternes to bée practised by To bee shorte they frame themselues to doe to leaue to chaunge to correct many things according to the iudgement of others But séeing wée haue alreadie at large discoursed of the greate force whiche vniuersall opinions haue for the amendement of our life I will stande no longer vppon that point and séeing wée are assured that our iudgements and the knowledge of our selues dependeth of the iudgement and conuersation of many I will enter to speake of the manner of conuersation abroade wherein for the reasons and respectes wée alledged yesterday I will haue regarde to the common profite and specially of those of small vnderstanding minding not to searche thorowly the morall vertues whiche euery one can not comprehende but to set foorth onely the principall points whiche are required in this conuersation Neyther will I in any wise mount to the toppe of trées but satisfying in some parte so learned a man as you are for the rest I make account to speake to persons of weake capacitie and therefore I will indeuour to present them with such thinges as are not out of their reach Guaz. Your discourses shall so much the better content mée by how much the more they shal be familiar and suche as are méete for the weakenesse of my vnderstanding Annib. It is but your modestie to say so Nowe comming first to the generall points I am perswaded that the knowledge and contemplation of nature is imperfect in man if actions bée not thereto adioyned And therefore if to students which liue in contemplation conuersation bée necessarie it is no doubt muche more necessarie to those whiche haue no learning at all Who that they may not remaine as brute beastes but bée knowen to differ from them ought to indeuour to learne that at the mouth of another whiche by their owne studie they can not attaine vnto Like as then it is reported that certaine people vsed to dresse and heale those that were sicke openly in the stréetes and béeing carefull of their health demaunded of those which passed by if they knewe any remedie for their diseases so the solitarie man who is in very déede sicke and bereft of the knowledge whiche is gotten by the proofe of other mens iudgement hath néede to séeke remedie abroade out of the house And though perchance hee méete with some more sicke then himselfe and with others perhaps incurable yet let him not cease to goe forwarde vntil such time hée finde such as are in health to comforte him and Phisitions to heale him Hauing respect to the sentence of him which saide Of the wise thou shalt learne to make thy selfe better of fooles to make thy selfe more aduised Guaz. Though men were not induced to goe foorth of their house and frequent the companie of others for the causes by you alledged yet I warrant you there want not other spurres which pricke them forwarde into companie and make them presse into places where they sée the greatest throng of people for the desire to maintaine and increase their wealth and to mende their estate will not suffer men to stande ydle with their handes at their gyrdels whiche you shall plainely see if you once set your foote in the Court of some Prince where you shall sée an infinite number of Courtiers assemble together to talke and deuise of many matters to vnderstande the newes of the death or confiscation of the goods of some one to seeke to obtaine of the Prince eyther promotions goods pardons exemption or priuiledge for them selues or others and before they will craue suche thinges to procéede thereto by meanes and to practise the fauour of the Secretaries and other Officers And you shall haue there besides other good fellowes conspyring together and secretly deuising howe to bring some Officer into the disfauour of his Prince that hée
no man that thinketh so vilely and abiectly of himselfe that hée deserueth to bée scorned And in my opinion besides that it is no good manner to mocke another hée is also in daunger to receiue the like or a greater mocke himselfe For suche a blowe as the Asse giueth against the wall suche a one hée receiueth him selfe And if it bée a fault to floute such as one knoweth it is a greater fault to deride those hée knoweth not whiche some rashe and insolent fellowes vse to doe who as the saying is iudging the horses by the sadles and furnyture * consider not that oft times vnder a clownishe coate is hidden a noble and liuely vnderstanding Annib. A poore Peisant of Montferrat may bée a proofe thereof who comming into the Citie accompanied with certaine women a saucie Citizen saide vnto him Thou hast vndertaken to bring a great many Goates to our market Syr answered hée mée thinkes I haue brought but a few in respect of the great number of Buckes which is there Guaz. I knowe a young man who by his iesture and lookes séemeth to be but a foole and for that cause some make them selues merry at him but I may say to you hée can frame his answeres so fitly and can giue quip for quip so wittily that those which begin the skirmish with him boldly are faine to retyre shamefully Annib. To conclude it is a perilous thing to mock and scoffe at others and as the saying is To anger a Waspe And therefore it is not good to mocke any man in any maner of wyse For if hée bée our better or equall hée will by no meanes abide that wée shoulde abiectly estéeme of him If hée bée our inferiour wée make him thereby to withdrawe his good wil from vs which is an yll matter For wée ought to indeuour to make euery one if it bée possible friendly affectioned towards vs. Now if it fall out that another ouershoote himselfe in talke wée must consider whether it procéede of vnskilfull foolishnesse or of wilfull naughtinesse for the first wée ought to excuse it or discréetely to séeke to hyde it without iesting at it as some scoffing merchantes which are altogether voide of wit vse to doe for as it is an yl thing to make a scoffe at that which is well done so is it a cruell and odious thing to scoffe at that which is yll done by ignorance or ouersight But let vs come to those faultes whiche procéede of vice and which are to be reprehended Guaz. I thinke there is néede of farre more discretion in reprehending those then in the other Annib. So muche the more by howe muche the more daunger it is too deale in good earnest then in iest And though it bee meete for all sortes of men to excuse or couer those light faultes beefore spoken of in all sortes of men yet is it not lawfull for euery one to correct and reprehende the imperfections and faultes of euery man As it is not lawfull for euerie one either for lacke of authorite as for a young man too reprehende an olde or for one of lowe estate one that is of highe calling or else for that hee is sprinckled with the like or with greater imperfections as for an adulterer to rebuke another for lasciuiousnesse or for lying For as the Prouerbe is Hee that mocketh the lame must take heede that hee him selfe goe vpright Likewise wée ought not to presume to correct any others but those with whom either by consanguinitie or by long familiaritie wée haue credite and authoritie To bée briefe in reprehending wée must not onely haue respect to the qualitie of the persons but also of the places and times and to consider both howe wée ought to vse reprehension and howe our friend is disposed to receiue it And therefore it is reported that one saying to another Art thou not ashamed to bée drunken in such sort Hée answered Art not thou ashamed to reprehende one that is drunke◠In like case it were to no purpose but woulde rather make him worse to rebuke a swearer while hee is in his rage and in the presence of others Yet this aduertisement is not enough but to vse déeper discretion in the matter wée must vse an honest kinde of deceite and intermingle with the bitternesse of reprehension the swéetenesse of some prayse Or wee muste blame others for those faultes whiche are in him whom wee seeke to refourme or els reproue our selues as subiect too suche imperfections Finally we ought to reprooue our friende in suche sorte that hee maye take it well and thinke him selfe beeholding too vs for it As some Philosophers in their Morall woorkes haue taughte vs to doo whiche shall suffice touching this pointe Nowe touching other meanes pertayning to the obseruation of the sentence beefore set downe if wee looke thorowely intoo it wee shall finde that all those whiche loue rather too bée then to seeme to bee will vse that foresaide discretion in auoyding all quarrellous contentions and obstinate arguyng in matters whereby a man desirous of that vayne seeming will often times contrarye to all reason seeke to seeme to haue the vpper hande of others Guaz. In my opinion there is nothing that maketh a manne woorse liked of in companie then that Annib. And therefore if hee which speaketh saye the trueth wee ought too contente our selues so well with his woordes as if they were holy Scripture And if hee chaunce too vtter any vntrueth rather then too stande in contention with him so that it no way preiudice vs we ought modestlye too beare with it Obseruing alwayes the rule of Epictere who sayd that in companie wee must yeelde humbly too our Superiour perswade gently with our inferiour and agree quietly with our equall And by that meanes there shall neuer bee any falling out Nowe I meane too tell you howe a manne ought too behaue him selfe in such ceremonies as are requisite in companie Guaz. I should thinke it wisedome to vse no ceremonies at all in companie for so much as they procéede rather of curious vanitie then of faythfull affection and in my iudgement the more a man vseth them the lesse plaine dealing is thought to be in him Wheras on the contrary when you sée one goe plainely to woorke both in woordes and iesture you say by and by that he is a good honest meaning man For my part I weigh it little that my equall hauing the wall of me should goe from it to giue me place I had rather haue him beare me more goodwill and doe me lesse honour And as you cannot but laugh to sée a farre off a number of folke skipping leaping daunsing you hearing no sowne of instrument so it must néedes make you merry to sée a farre two persons vse diuerse iestures and ceremonies of the head the handes the knées and wrying their whole bodie not hearing any woorde they say I will not say vnto you that for one which hath a good grace
that if hée had one foote within the graue yet hee woulde still bée learning somewhat For that hée was not ignorant that the things whiche wee knowe are but the least part of the things wée knowe not Yea wée may say that a man neuer beginneth to knowe vntil by age wée drawe towardes the ende of our life Which a certaine philosopher sheweth very wel who with lamentation complaineth of nature for giuing a very long life to many reasonles creatures vsing great liberalitie towards them dealing very hardly with man who is depriued of life then when he beginneth to liue that is to vnderstand and then when hee ought to inioy the fruites of his labours But I meane not héere to discourse vnto olde folke what is requisite for them to sustaine the burthen of age and to arriue safely at the hauen and ende of misery and sorrowe For that were to perswade my selfe foolishly that Cato had not spoken of that matter largely and eloquently But I wil say vnto you that many olde folke complaine without cause that their age is smally regarded or reuerenced and perswade themselues for that they haue a whyte beard for that they are bald bleareyed toothlesse crooked trembling and sickly that therfore al honor shoulde be due vnto them and many of them sée not how voide they are of vnderstanding vertue and wisedome And therefore they ought to consider that olde age is not to bée respected or reuerenced for the number of their yéeres but chiefly for the merite of their good conditions and Uertue and therevppon it is sayde that to bée hoare heared is a signe of yéeres not of knowledge And if I may say that an old man without knowledge and vertue is worthy no honour at all for that it is a signe hee hath spent his youth in nothing that is commendable Whiche is confirmed by this saying that thrée sortes of men are odious to the world a poore man proude a riche man a lyar and an old man a foole Now touching conuersation I woulde aduise old men to temper alwayes their falke with grauitie and wisedom and for the most part to speake of those things which serue for example and instruction of life Guaz. No doubt it is alwayes the vse to attribute much to old age and their words are euer of more force then yong mens Annib. Thereof it commeth that as yong men béeing asked their age make themselues yonger then they are to conserue the ornament of youth and to make others thinke they haue that force and sufficiency in them which is incident to youth so likewise old men alwayes make theÌ„ selues older then they are to inioy the preheminence and authority which is giuen to age * Guazzo This is very true for the most part yet now and then wée sée some olde doating fooles who notwithstanding they féele their legges féeble and trembling vnder theÌ„ and sée in their glasse their whyte heares whiche exhorte them to change of life and manners yet for all that they wil not yéelde themselues but will take vppon them to play the souldiours and the louers little estéeming that saying that It is not meete for age to sue the slippery traine Of Venus or of Mars both which pay labour but with paine So that they will not onely not confesse their age but make themselues yonger then they are Annib. Those whom you speake of are very offensiue for that by their euil example they imbolden young men to doe ill And therefore I account him to be of great wisedome which can conforme his maÌ„ners to his age hauing an eye to the saying of the Apostle when I was a childe I spoke like child but being man growen I cast away al childish tricks But you say nothing of those who not content to yeelde to the course of nature desire to seeme young and goe another way to woorke to hide their age that is by pulling of their white heares or else seeking to conuert their siluer heares into golden ones the simple soules not perceiuing that this their transformation or rather deformation is no more seene then a nose in a mans face Guaz. There was one olde graybeard who perceiued this well ynough but too late and with repentance For hauing been denied a suite which hee craued at his princes handes he went and dyed his bearde and his head and perswading himselfe he should not be knowne returned twoo dayes after to the prince preferring his former suite who spying his crafte making as though he perceiued it not answered him I cannot with mine honour graunt it to you for that I haue alredie denied it to your father who two dayes since requested the same thing at my handes Annib. Let vs nowe make an ende of this matter aduising olde men to suffer their minde to waxe olde together with their bodie and not to behaue themselues youthfully in their age and when they are ariued to their ende not to seeke to turne backe but rather to giue themselues to consider that age naturally maketh them crooked and stooping towardes the grounde to the ende they may thinke to returne from whence they came and to remember that at that time their breath euen hangeth at their lippes * They haue further to take heede least they contemne young folke a fault common to many of them for it is their parte too make account of them and to vse great discretion in their behauiour towardes them to the ende that young folke if for nothing else may therby be mooued to doe them honour otherwise they may assure themselues they shall bee had in contempt and derision They must bee sure being amongest youth to vse great respect as well in wordes as â—estures remembring that the intemperancie of olde men maketh young men more disordered and dissolute * And to conclude that they haue regarde to the commaundement of Paule that they bée sober chast wise sound in faith in charitie and in patience which vertues will make them acceptable to all honest companies * But nowe let vs speake of Gentlemen and yeomen betwéene whom by reason of their difference and inequalitie there are diuers thinges to be obserued in company Guaz. I thinke that labour lost or at least a thing not woorthie your labour to goe about to instruct the base people about whom being by nature vnciuill rude vntowarde discurteous rough sauage as it were barbarous and voide of vnderstanding you shall loose your labour and according to the Prouerbe both water and soape Annib. If you meane by those of base birth only labourers and rustikes our spéeche in déede woulde bée spent in vaine but if you consider the infinite number of persons which reache not to the degrée of Gentlemen and yet are not from it you will not deny but that both for the good minde they carie with them and the good calling they liue in they are woorthie some place in company and that they ought to bée put in the middest betwéene
ought to respect the qualities and vertues whiche are in the parties themselues and that it is in vaine to stand vpon the renowme of our progenitours Next vnto this first kind foloweth the second of Gentlemen by good conditions Guaz. Which take you to be the best of those two Annib. Whether do you more account of those things which are gottē with labour and industrie or of those which nature or fortune bestoweth vpon vs Guaz. Why the first Annib. And whether doe you thinke more excellent of the giftes of the mind or of the body Guaz. The giftes of the minde Annib. Consider now that gentry by byrth costeth you nothing but that you haue it by succession mary gentry by vertue you haue gotten hardly hauing first passed thorowe the pykes and a thousande daungers Moreouer wée are to consider that gentry by blood belongeth to the body but gentry by good conditions hath relation to the mind Which made the tyrant Phalaris say béeing demaunded what hée thought of gentry that hée acknowledged gentry to come onely by the meanes of vertue and al other things by the meanes of fortune for that one of base birth may become most noble aboue all kings and contrariwise one wel borne may become the most wretched and contemtible of the worlde and that therefore wée are to boast of the giftes of the minde not of the gentry of our auncestours which is alredie extinguished by the vnknowen and degenerated posteritie * Whervpon I thinke them worthy of great commendation who from very lowe place with the ladder of their owne vertue climbe to most respected highnesse As many Popes Emperours and kings haue done béeing the sonnes of very meane men * Guaz. Yet for al that you sée how the world commēly reputeth gentry by byrth as legitimate and gentry by vertue as bastardily and farre inferiour to the other And if you do but sounde the opinion of the Gentlemen of this Citie they will I warrant you in a manner all of them say vnto you that they had rather bée borne Gentlemen and haue nothing in the worlde but their rapier and cloake then to bée discended of base parentage and to bée Senatours or Presidents Annib. It is reported that the foxe cast his tayle about a yong tréeful of fruite to the intent to shake it make the fruites fal to the ground but fayling of his purpose he went his way finding fault with y e fruite saying they were without tast and not good ynough for him The like doe those whom you speake of who being not by vertue able to aspire to those degrées mislike of the degrées and of those persons who by their vertue haue attained vnto them But assure your selfe that those which hold that erronious opinion are for the most part voide of vertue But if you shal talke with a Gentleman that is so by birth who by the helpe either of learning or of armes hath gotten this second gentry he wil no doubt make more account of the gentry purchased by his owne vertue then of that which is discended vnto him by birth So that I meruaile nothing though that common opinion take place séeing that the number of Gentlemen without vertue is farre greater then of those which bée vertuous Yet you remember that it was sayde yesterday that the common opinion consisteth not in the number but in the qualitie of the persons and therefore the opinion which you haue brought foorth shall not bée called common Guaz. This same is one of the abuses of diuers countries specially of Fraunce where learning is so litle accoūted of that a Gentleman though he bee scarce able to maintaine himselfe thinketh scorne too applye his minde too the studie either of the lawes or of phisick And though there be no gentrie in a manner to bée compared to that of the Presidentes and Counsellours of the King yet you sée those that are Gentlemen borne count them to bee but base and ignoble But I haue séene many rightly serued for this their corrupt opinion or rather obstinacie For I haue séene one of these Counsellours or Presidents to kéepe their state suffer these Gentlemen which haue occasion to vse them to knocke a great while at their gates and when they are come in they walke long time in the Court or in the hall of the house before they shall be admitted to their presence and they are driuen oftentimes after that he shal be mounted in hast vpon his Mule to goe to the Palace to lackey after like slaues so infourme him of their causes sutes But there was nothing in Fraunce which went more against my stomacke then to see the Secretaries of noble men in so litle credite and reputation whereas in Italy the Secretaries of Princes are had in great honor and iustly for that they are partakers of their inward thoughtes and the kéepers as it were vpon trust of their honor estimation And in Fraunce he that hath a seruant which can coppie out writinges and kéepe count of his reuenewes in a booke he giueth him forthwith the name of Secretarie Annib. I haue reasoned many times with your brother about that matter who amongst other pleasant matters tolde mée that in the voyage which hee made last by post in Fraunce being sent by the Duke our maister to the King being to chaunge Horses in a certaine place the Post-maister came vnto him and called twise aloude Secretary and foorthwith there came out of the stable a foule great Groome with a pen inkehorne at his girdle and a pen at his eare who had charge giuen him to make ready thrée horses whervpon the secretary set hand to the harnesse sadled one of thē two other seruāts did the like one of which your brother asked why his maister made y e secretary dresse horse who answered that his maister tooke him for a Groome of the stable for their companion about y e loking to the horse but for that hée coulde wryte and keepe a reckoning of the horses which were let out his Maister had like wyse made him his secretary Guaz. Hee might wel say hée was secretarie in Vtroque to wit with the pen and the currycombe Annib. Hée sayde moreouer that when the Duke of Neuers sent him to the lodging of some Prince or of the great chauncelour or some other he was soone let in if he termed himself one of the Dukes gentlemen but if hee named himselfe secretarie they made him tarie longer and regarded him the lesser Nowe to returne to my purpose I say againe that the Gentleman by vertue is more excellent then the Gentleman by birth Yea I coulde say vnto you that many count gentry by blood to bée foolish and nothing at all and amongst others a certaine wise man saide that gentry of the minde is to bée indued with woorthy thoughts and the gentry of the body is the gentlemanlike minde meaning that the gentry of the body was not to bée
and conseruation of the state of the Academie In proposing of matters in discoursing and in answering they procéede with great respect and reuerence without tumult without confusion And in giuing of voyces euery one preferreth his auncient before him as touching priuate congregations some are called for the creation of the Prince Counsellours Censors and other Officers who are made by secrete voyces and they continue but from foure monethes to foure Some to heare the discourse of some Academike who loueth not to doe it publikely some to admit the newe Acadmikes that were before chosen by priuie voyces and to to heare their spéeches wherein they render thankes too the Prince and the Academikes Some to conferre of those thinges which are to be handled in publike and then there are ordinarily made lectures and discourses of diuers matters and by two Academikes the compositions and workes of the Academie are redde and afterwardes the writinges and doynges of strangers Euery two monethes they change their Prince and in that ceremonie the olde Prince geueth vp his throne and deliuereth the seale of the Academie too his successour who placing himselfe in the others seate taketh possession of the principalitie which is done in euerie point with such state and maiestie that I am not able to expresse it Which you may imagine by the great multitude not onely of Citizens but of straungers which are present at it Moreouer it happeneth sometime that some Academike is married and then the bride and other gentlewomen with her are inuited to this assemblie where shée is honoured with great pompe and solemnity with pleasant discourses with commendatorie verses with musicke such like Like as my Ladie Francis your cosin was to whom in open assembly there was geuen in the name of the Academikes a Carcanet of golde which you may perhaps haue séene about her necke whereon the one side is brauely set foorth the deuise or armes of the Acacademie and on the other side the deuise of your brother but something altered for whereas that hath a flying swan with a branche of bay in her mouth this writing on it aboue the skies this hath besides the shadow of the same swan and â—he posie is changed which is Be a mate in this maner meaning that shée ought to follow the steps of her husband as the shadowe did the swanne They vse also at the death of any of the Academikes to make funerall assemblies in honour of him with such grauitie and sadnesse that it is woonderfull I coulde rehearse vnto you many other notable thinges but I will omit them for the time is short which we haue to bestowe in other matters wee will onelye say then that the conuersation with the learned standeth vs in maruellous steede delighteth vs muche and is the cause of greate loue and amity Which is shewed by the â—able of Narcissus who being without company so soone as hée sawe himselfe in a fountaine fel in loue with himself and therfore nothing being more like vnto vs then our Image it may bée well sayde that when one that is learned loueth an other that is learned that both of them loue nothing els but their owne Image in an other And it may be likewise saide that this their friendship is perpetual as well as the loue of ones selfe is Nowe let vs come to the conuersation betwéene strangers and Citizens Guaz. Séeing we haue but a litle time left it were betteâ— to omitte this matter as a thing little and seldome happening Annib. Let vs at least shewe vnto the Citizen that it is his part to haue a pittifull eye towardes straungers and to consider that being farre from their countrey parentes and goodes being depriued of all those commodities which wee inioy in our owne houses they are to bée succoured with all ayde and fauour possible and especially those which are in necessitie For no doubt hée that receiueth them into his lodging purchaseth to himself a lodgeing and abyding place in heauen by meanes of his charitable curtesie yea wée must knowe that this worke is so acceptable to God that he that giueth onely a cuppe of colde water to drinke in the way of charitie shall not goe without rewarde And though the commodities héere belowe are not to bee compared with the heauenly rewardes yet let vs thinke what honour and profit the good enterteinement which wée giue to straungers bringeth vs for that those which kéepe open house for strangers doe not onely winne credit in their owne countrey but without setting foote out of the precinct of their owne terrytorie they are known and honourably reported of in forrain countries besides that they are sure when they trauayle to finde friendes money and succour at néede Guaz. It is a great contentment to a man to sée himself estéemed and made much off by his parentes and friends in his owne countrey but that is but a trifle in respect of the good it doeth a man when hée séeth himselfe entertained and honoured where he is scarâ—e knowen And therfore you shall easily perswade mee to performe this duetie towardes strangers towards whom I feele my selfe maruellously wel affected for that in my trauayle I receiued at their handes great curtesie Annib. For that cause I was about to tell you that those shew themselues most hoggish and cruell to strangers who neuer went out of their countrie Who for that they haue not felt the inconueniences and discommodities of trauell haue no consideration of the state of strangers neyther are moued with any compassion towardes them Wherein they are greatly too blame for that they ought too shewe to strangers more curtesie honour then to their owne countriemen Being the saying of a Philosopher that a stranger when he is depriued of his friendes and parentes is to bée pitied both of God and men And therefore béeing in companie with them we ought to vse great respect towards them both in déede and word forbearing finding of faultes and other boldnesse which we might lawfully vse towardes our owne countriemen yea and to cloake and to beare rather with their imperfections So that some are of this opinion that we ought not to deale yll with strangers though they deserue it Guaz. It is very true but yet oftentimes straungers are worse vsed then they should be by theyr owne fault wheÌ„ they will be of housholde with vs in a manner and be more familiar bolde then they ought to be which maketh them fare the woorse Annib. And therefore it shal be the part of a straunger being in another mans house not to take vpoÌ„ him presumptuously but to behaue himselfe so modestly that euery man may loue and fauour him For as if he set himselfe forward too muche hée shalbée pulled backe with shame so if hee hang backe hée shal be halled forwarde with honour He must also in companie vse the same behauiour in worde and déede towardes you as you are bound to doe towards him wherby
duty when a wise Father getteth a sunne like to himselfe founding their opinion vpon certayne subtile and Philosophical reasons which at this time I meane to omit Now the case being so it were good for a man that would marry to be sure that his wife come of ill parentes and it were best for wyse men to take heed how they marry for feare of getting fooles to their children but I take not the matter to be so therefore I answere you and those other That nature alway tendeth to the best so that of good parentes ought naturally to come good children and if it fall out sometyme otherwise the fault is not to be imputed to nature For if one looke aduisedly into the matter he shall see that for the most part it happeneth not by the byrth but by the bringing vp That is the cause that many grosse heads by continual study become ready witted and other who euer in their cradell are found to haue a quick wit in processe of tyme eyther through idlenesse or gluttony or some such misgouernment become slow and dull headed Nowe from that consideration I woulde haue you come to this that the Father who through much trauayle and trouble both of mynde and body hath gotten wealth and honour though he getteth children of great wit yet he is so ouergone in fatherlye affection towardes them that knowing he hath prouided for them sufficient to liue by at their ease he cannot abide to see them trauaile and labour as he hath done so that vanquished with a certain tender affection he suffereth them to be brought vp delicatelye and wantonly and is the cause that by this ydlenesse their naturall force decayeth and by custome and habite is changed into another nature Consider besides how the children perceiuing themselues thus coaxed and pampered by their parents keepe themselues so much as they maye oute of the dust and the sunne neither care to apply their mynde to any commendable thing or to seeke to get more then that liuing which their parentes haue lefte them not vnlike the crow which liueth only by the foode whiche other Beastes leaue And sure there is no doubt of it but that if they were meanly left by their parentes they would grow to be wise and sufficient men And thereof you see that for the moste part poore mens children become rich by their own study and industry and riche waxe poore by their negligence idlenesse which is signified vnto vs by that pleasaunt wheele whiche turneth vp this saying Riches breede pride pride pouerty pouerty humilitie humilitie riches riches agayne pride We will maintaine then for most true touching generation that as a man of men and of beastes a beast so of the good for the most part is ingendered the good but the good Father must be admonished that he trust not so much in the goodnes of his nature that hee thinke that onelye sufficiente to keepe his children good but beholding them with an eye rather aduised then pitifull and fatherly he must seeke to better their good nature in stirring them vp to vertuous deeds assuring themselues that to ariue to the perfectioÌ„ of vertue it is not ynough to be wel borne but also to be wel brought vp whereof we will speake by and by in more conuenient place In the meane while in the choyse of a wife we shal not doe amisse to be wel infourmed of the honesty of the mother in hope that the daughter will follow her honest nature and conditions and that we shall haue much lesse paine to keepe her in her goodnesse theÌ„ if by the peruerse nature of the mother she were naturally inclined to ill but it is not ynough to know the qualities of the mother but we must likewise be priuy to the conditions of the Father for that the children participate with the nature of both two and it often falleth out that they draw some imperfection from the one of them which the other is cleare voyde of And though it be expedient for euery man to haue a wife that is well borne yet I would haue Gentlemen especially take heede y t they matche only with those that come of Gentle blood for the cauilling of Sophists against gentrie is vayn who hauing no regarde to thinges common and knowne to euery man to wit that to haue a good race men buy horse and dogges whiche come of a good kinde of fruites also they make choise of the beste sortes will not likewise consider that to a Gentleman the good byrth of his wife is auayleable for the issue they shall haue betweene them nor weigh how much it importeth to the children whether their originall be barbarous or otherwise wherein like ignorant fellowes they shew themselues not to know that in generation there are certaine secret instincts of vertue and excellency communicated by the Parents to the children Guaz. I now consider that if it be true that education be another nature yt is requisite not only to knowe whether ones wife be borne of good parents but also whether shee haue been orderly and well brought vppe whiche alwayes commeth not to passe for that there are some who hauing but one daughter ar so blinded with the extreame loue they beare her that they will not haue her hindred of her will in any thing but suffer her to liue in all wanton pleasure delicasy which afterwards is y e cause of many incoÌ„ueniences Annib. You are not a whit deceiued yet for all that the husbande must not be discouraged for the too muche tendernesse of the parentes ouer her for she being yet but young with the helpe of her good nature he may easily like a tender twig make her straight if she begin to growe crooked and with graue admonitions refourme her wanton mynde Therby we may gather that it is better to marry a young gyrle then a mayde of ripe yeâ—res who is hardly brought to leaue her old il trickes if she haue taken any Guaz. Yet there are some of a contrary opinyon to yours who holde it better to take a wyfe which is of yeeres of discretion knowing how to order a house then of these infants newly come out of y e ground whom you must eyther teache your self or else appoint theÌ„ a gouernour And truly if any stranger should come to my house to whom I woulde giue good entertainment I should dye for very shame if I should he cumbred with one of those simple sottish creatures which knoweth neither how to aske a question nor how to make an answeare nor in discourse to shewe her selfe a wise and gallant wench and if she be not able to perfourme that I had rather lock her vp and say she is sick Annib. You shall neuer fynd young woman so sauory euery way that may please your taste but that liuing with you you will chaunge her manners and frame her to your owne fancy Touching this point if we will consider how different the
Methridates who for her husbands sake causing her head to be polled and framing her selfe to ride and weare armure like a maÌ„ accompanied him valiantly faithfully patieÌ„tly in al his troubles perils which gaue Methridates wonderfull coÌ„fort in his aduersitie gaue the world to vnderstand that there is nothing so troublesome greeuous but that the two hearts of the husband and the wife lincked togither are abâ—e to support it And therefore when the husbandes are afflicted with any infirmity either of mind or body let the wiues bee ready both in word and deed to comfort and to attend them whereby they shall see their loue and affection will growe more feruent and faithfull For conclusion the husband and the wyfe muste count all thinges common betweene them hauing nothing of their owne in particulâ—r no not so much as the body it selfe and laying aside pryde they must cheerefully set their handes to chose thinges that are to be done about y e house beloÌ„ging to their calling to striue in well doing one to ouercome another whereof will growe such conteÌ„ted quietnesse as will happily prolong their liues to old age and by the bond of loue concorde they shal giue their children an example to liue in vnitie one with an other and their seruauntes to agree together in the dispatche of their businesse and discharge of their duties Guaz. For so much as you haue made mention of children I should like well y t from henceforth according to our determination you come to speake of the conuersation betweene y e parents the children for I think it a matter very expedieÌ„t to set down y e orders which they ought to obserue in conuersing togither for y e euen amongst theÌ„ there is not for y e most part found that good agreemeÌ„t and y e discrete dealing which ought to be that the world is now come to this passe y t the child is no sooner come to any vnderstanding but that he beginneth to cast in his head of his fathers death as a little childe riding behind his father sayde simply vnto him Father when you are dead I shal ride in the Saddle yea there are many great knauish children which wish and worke the death of their fathers whereof I know not well to whom to impute the fault either to the fathers which keepe not their children in such awe neyther bring them vp in such sorte as they ought to do or to the children who know not how much they are beholding to their fathers Annib. And which of theÌ„ in the end rather conclude you to be in the fault Guaz. Marye the Childe who can not bring an action agaynst his father though he do him neuer so great wrong Annib. Why sayd you not but now that the child often times knoweth not his duty to his father Guaz. Yes mary did I. Annib. To whom wil you giue the charge to make the child know and vnderstand that duty Guaz. To the Father Annib. Then reuoke your first sentence and conclude that the fault is in the father who ought to haue infourmed him in his duty Guaz. If the father giue his sonne good lessons he will not hearken vnto them what can he doe more if the Father offereth instructions with the right hand the childe receiueth them with the left hand what fault is the Father in Annib. If the father in time teach him to vse his right haÌ„d he will neuer grow to be left handed but it is no marueile if hauing suffered him to vse that ill custome a long tyme he cannot afterwardes take it from him And therefore hee ought to accuse his owne negligence for that he hath deferred till euening to giue him â—hose instructions whiche hee should haue giuen him earlye in the morning at the Sunne rysing euen together as it were with the milke of y e Nurse not considering that in tender mindes as it were in waxe a man may make what impression he lift Guaz. I know not how you can excuse the children who after the father hath nourished and brought them vp carefully vnder the charge of learned men and instructed them in the faith of Christ in the end run astray and liuing lewdlye bring foorth fruite vnworthy their good bringing vp Annib. That happeneth very sieldome though it do happen yet for al y t the fathers are not discharged of the care ouer them which God himselfe hath inioyned them to Guaz. I marueile not so much y t a child vertuously brought vp sometime falleth out naught or if therevpon afterwardes ariseth discord betwene his father him for y e vnlikenesse of manners may be the cause of it but I count it strange as it were agaynst nature y t both y e father y e sonne being both honest men and for their good dealing wel spoken of by all men it shal often fall out that they cannot agree together in the house but liue in continuall strife and dissention and agreeing well in publike affayres still disagree about househould matters whereof I could bring you many examples Annib. You sayd but erewhile that the child ought not to commence an action agaynst the father if you will stand to that sentence you must needes confesse that the sonne how honest soeuer he be doth not honestly when he withstandeth his father and conformeth not himselfe to his pleasure Guaz. I auow and make good that the sonne ought to suffer the father to commaunde ouer him and that hee ought to obay him without any resistaunce but that their conuersation may frame the better I thinke it necessarye to appointe to the father how he ought to proceed in his fatherly iurisdiction y t he exceede not y e bonds of reason and giue not his sonne cause if not to oppose himselfe against his pleasure yet to find fault w t him in his hart to think himself ill delt withal by him by means wherof he waxeth cold faint in y e loue reuerence which he ought to beare to his father Annib. I can neuer forget y e vndoubted saying y e fewe children are like the father that many of them are worse and y e those which are better are very rare thin sowed I would haue vs first therfore serch out y e cause why so fewe children resemble the father answere to y e hope he coÌ„ceiueth of theÌ„ whereof ariseth disagreement betweene them by y t meane we shal better vnderstaÌ„d what their conuersatioÌ„ ought to be Guaz. With all my hart Annib. First it is to be considered that children bring smal or no comfort vnto their parents if nature fortune bee not well tempered in them Guaz. How so Annib. As a fruitful graine sowed in a soyle vnfit for it bringeth forth no increase so a child which is naturally giueÌ„ to learning shal neuer do well if he be giuen to warfare so much it importeth to finde out in the beginning
the other and went about by many pleasant deuises to make him vnderstand that it was his parte being elder and dyscreeter to supplye the default of his brother which hee interpreted so wronglye that he sayd to the Count he vnderstood by the halfe word what the whole menâ— and that he was content to forbeare his house to the end that those who were so far in his bokes might haue free accesse vnto it To be short all his affaultes were in vaine as if they had been made against an inuincible for t and the best coÌ„position which he could bring him to was that he was content in respect of him to bee friendes with his brother but he would afterwardes kyll him if he could whiche hee failed to do for that within few daies after in that ill mynde he was in he was slayne at the battayle at S. Quinten Annib. He thought to shew the Count some curtesâ—e in deferring the death of his brother so long And trulye it is a desperate cure to go about to quenche the fire of discord when it is once kindled in the hartes of two Brothers whyche maketh mee muche muse howe it shoulde bee so being a thinge so farre from all reason Guaz. But I thinke it rather a reasonable thing that 〈◊〉 man shoulde finde himselfe most greeued with him whiche ought least to greeue him Annib. And I thinke it reasonable that a man shoulde be least offended with him who ought to be most bolde with him Guaz. Knowe you not that where is great loue from thence proceedeth great hate Annib. Know you not that where is great loue there ought also to be great patience Guaz. You see yet by experience effects contrary therto Annib. Brothers are in deed oft times at discord for that they were neuer at accord but brothers which from their infancy haue liued in loue together wil put vp any iniury or displeasure rather then they wil fall out among themselues Guaz. You meane then that the cause why brothers fall out is for lacke of loue Annib. If I should set downe that for y t cause I should be counted as very a foole as he who being askt why the dogge folowed his maister answered for y t his maister went before you might say y t according to the prouerbe I went about to fil your mouth with an empty spoone That is to seeme to teach not to teach Wherefore if you will haue me come to y e right occasions of this discord I say I haue noted the two chiefe causes therof the one by y e fault of the fathers the other by y e fault of the brothers Touching y e discord growing by the fathers fault we haue spokeÌ„ sufficiently of it already For the other it happeneth when brothers take more care for the partes then for the whole body I meane by the body all the brothers together by the partes eache one of them for that brothers stand vs in the like stead as our eyes hands feete do Yea if we consider the matter thorowly we shall finde that brothers are framed more fitly for the mutuall ayd one of another then the partes of our bodye are for one hande can but helpe the other hand which is present and one foote the other foote which is hard by it but the mutuall aid of brothers stretcheth farther for being far distant one from another they cease not to succour assist one another If then brothers according to their nature were cheeflye addicted to the conuersation of this body without casting their onlye care for their owne peculier parte there is no doubt of their brotherly loue and good agreement together Guaz. Indeed that naughty passion of bearing our selues to great affectioÌ„ wil not suffer vs to loue others as we ought to do though they be neuer so nere vnto vs. Annib. It is true and that is the cause there are so few brothers which will preferre the common honoure and profite of them all before theyr owne partyculer aduauncement and that we daily see thinges common commonly neglected whereof for the most part groweth the decay of houses for by the diuision of goodes the forces of brothers are weakened and by the diuision of hartes they come somtymes to receiue iniuries which euery one by himselfe hath his handes full to repulse Which that wise Kyng shewed manifestly who by the bundell of roddes gaue his children to vnderstande howe inuyncible theyr force was so long as they held together Wherfore it is requisite that aboue all thinges brothers lay before them the common honour and profite and that all of them both in deedes and in counsaile bee carefull for the conseruation of the honoure of their house and let no one of them perswade himselfe by his sufficiency to supply the defects of the other and to carye away all the honour and credite from them Guaz. Soft I pray you so long as I shall liue vertuously well do you thinke my honour any thing impaired though some of my brothers liue ill Annib. Your particuler honour shall be nothing diminyshed but the common honour of your house shall wherein you haue part Guaz. And why shall not my commendable behauiour counteruaile their lewd demeanor Annib. Howsoeuer it counteruaile it it cannot wype away the dishonour which your house sustaineth by it which receiueth as much shame by their ill doing as honor by your well doing And therefore they are greatly to blame which take not as greate care of theyr Brothers as of themselues for the brothers being as we haue sayd members of one body any one of them cannot be stayned but the whole bodye will be spotted and thervpon it is sayd That the nose cannot bee cut without bloodying the mouth This neerenesse which ought to be between brothers is likewise implyed in the name of brother which in latine signifieth as it were another to giue vs to vnderstand that a brother to a brother is as another hymselfe whereof I cannot at thys tyme bryng a more playne example then of a worke or booke whereof there are prynted in one presse diuers volumes whiche may perhaps dyffer in the couering and outward trymming and yet are but one thyng hauing one selfe beginning and ending so that the faults which are in one of these volumes are common to them al whereof I inferre that the faulte which is in one brother is common to all the rest Wherfore for y e honour of their house brothers ought to support one another and when the one falleth the other ought to helpe him vp again or else to confesse that hee hym selfe is fallen to the ground besides it is an vnseemly thing for a man to see himselfe raised to high degree and looking towardes the ground to behould his brother in lowe estate And a man may bee bold to say that he which hath no care of his brothers honour hath no care of his owne Of this commoÌ„ honour Scipio Africanus was very