the Sonne who euer kepeth one course in speakyng of incoÌ„staunce to showe the Mooâ—e whiche keepeth no certaine course Againe in younge Storkes wee may take an example of loue towardes their damme for when she is olde and not able for her crooked bil to picke meat the youngones fede her In young Uipers there is a contrary example for as Plinie saieth they eate out their dammes wombe and so come forthe In Hennes there is a care to bryng vp their chickens is Egles the contrarie whiche caste out their egges if thei haue any mo then thre and al because they woulde not be troubled with bryngyng vp of many There is also a notable kynde of amplification when we would extenuate and make lesse great faultes which before we did largely encrease to thende that other faultes might seeme the greatest aboue all other As if one had robbed his maister thrust his felow through the arme accoÌ„paned with harlottes kepte the tauerne till he had been as dronke as a ratte to say after a large inuectiue against al these offences You haue heard a whole court roule of ribauldrie and yet al these are but fle bitynges in respect and comparison of that which I shal now show you Who doth not loke for a maruâ—ilouse great matter a most hainouse offence when those faultes that are thought moste greuouse are counted but fle bitynges in respect and comparison of that whiche he myndeth to reherse In like maner one might exhort y e people to godlinesse and whereas he hath set forthe al the commodities that folowe the same as in showyng a quiet conscience not gilty of any great faulte the libertie of spirite the peace whiche we haue with GOD the felowship with al the electe for the seruant of Sathan to be the sonne of GOD the comforte of the soule the greatenesse wherof no man is able to conceiue to say at lengthe and what can be greater what can be more excellent or more blesseful yet al these are smal matters if thei be coÌ„pared with the blessed enheritaunce of the euerliuing God prepared for al those that liue Godlie here vpon earthe fastenyng there whole trust vpon Christe aboue whiche bothe is able and will saue all those that caâ— vnto him with faith We do encrease our cause by reasonyng the matter and casting our accompt when either by thynges that folow or by thynges that go before or elles by suche thynges as are annexed with the matter wee geue sentence how great the thyng is By thynges goyng before I iudge when I see an â—nuiouse or hasty man fight wiâ—h an other as hastie that there is lyke to be bloudshed As who should saie can enuiouse or hastie men matche together but that they must needes trie the matter with bloudshedyng Assuredly it can not be otherwyse but that bloude must appease their rage Likewyse seeyng two wyse men earnestly talkyng together I cannot otherwyse iudge but that their talke must nedes be wittie and concerne some weightie matter For to what ende shoulde wyse men ioyne or wherefore shoulde they laie their heades together if it were not for some earnest cause whâ—t a shame iâ— it for a strong man of muche health great manhode to be ouercome with a cuppe of drynke FroÌ„ thynges ioyned with the cause thus A woman hauyng her housbande emprisoned and in daunger of death soubdenly steppe before the Kyng and craued his pardon Bold was that womaÌ„ whiche durst aduenture to knele before a Kyng whose housband had so greuously offended Though woâ—en by nature are fearful yet in her appered a manly stomake and a good bolde harte yea euen in greatâ—st daunger By thynges that folowe thus al England lament the death of Duke Henrie and Duke Charles twoo noble brethren of the house of Suffolke Then may we wel iudge that these two ientlemen were wonderfully beloued when they both were so lamented There is a kynde of Amplifiyng when in speakyng of .ii. that fought together wee praise hym muche that had the worse because we would the other to haue more praise CoÌ„sideryng for a man to beate a boye it were no praise but for a talle man to matche with an other that were as talle as hym selfe that were somwhat worthe Therfore I woulde haue the Scottes wel praised whome the Englishmen haue so often vanquished He that praiseth muche â—he stronghold of Boleine must nedes thereby praise kyng Henry the .viij. of England who by martial power wonne it and kepte it al his lyfe tyme. Or thus Suche a one kepes a marueilouse good house for the worst boie in his house drynkes one and thesame drynke with his master and al one bread yea euery one hath his meate in siluer chamber vessels and all are of siluer We iudge by apparel by armour or by harnesse what a man is of stature or biggenes We iudge by occasion the goodnes of men as when they might haue doen harme thei would not when they might haue slaine thei sought rather to saue FroÌ„ the place where one is encrease may be gatherd As thus Beyng euen in the Court he was neuer moued to gaÌ„myng beyng at Rome he hated harlottes where thereis by report so great plentie as there are starres in the elemeÌ„t From the tyme thus he must needes be well learned in the lawes of our Realme that hath been a student this thirtie wynter From the age assuredly he is lyke to be good for beeyng but a childe he was euer most godlie From the state of lyfe no doubt but he is honest for beyng but a seruaunt he lyued so vprightely as none coulde iustly blame his lyfe From the hardenesse of a thyng That whiche is almost onely proper to Aungels must nedes be harde for man therefore chastitie is a rare gifte and harde for man to kepe From the straungenesse of a thyng EloqueÌ„ce must nedes bee a wonderful thyng when so fewe haue attained it Lykewyse notable aduentures doen by a fewe are more praise worthy than suche as haue been done by a great nombe Therfore the battail of Muskelborow against the Scottes where so fewe Englishmen were slaine and so many Scottes dispatched must nedes be more praise worthie than if the nomber of Englishmen had been greater Uehemencie of woordes full often helpe the matter forwarde when more is gatherde by cogitacion than if the thyng had been spoken in plaine woordes When wee heare one say suche a maÌ„ swelled seyng a thyng against his mynd we gather that he was then more than half angrie Againe when wee heare one saie suche a woman spittes fier we gather streight that she is a Deuill The Preacher thunderde in the Pulpite belyke then he was metely hoote But concernyng all suche speaches the knowlege of a Metaphore shall bryng men to muche knowlege whereof I wil speake hereafter emong the figures and therefore I surcease to speake of it in this place We encrease our cause by heapyng of wordes sentences together couchyng
men to take pitie of the fatherlesse the widowe and the oppressed innocent if we set before their iyes the lamentable afflictions the tyrannouse wronges and the miserable calamities whiche these poore wretches do susteine For if fleshe and bloude moue vs to loue our children our wyfes and our kynsfolke muche more shoulde the spirite of God and Christes goodnes towardes maÌ„ stirre vs to loue our neighbours moste eâ—tirely These exhâ—rtacions the preachers of God may most aptely vse when they open his Gospell to the people and haue iust cause to speake of suche matters ¶ Of Commendyng IN commendyng a man wee vse the reporte of his witte honestie faithfull seruice painefull labour and carefull nature to do his maisters will or any suche lyke as in the Epistles of Tullie there are examples infinite ¶ Of Comfortyng NOw after al these the weake would be comforted and the soroufull woulde bee cherised that there grief might bee aswaged and the passions of man brought vnder the obedience of reason The vse hereof is great aswell in priuate troubles as in commune miseries As in losse of gooddes in lacke of frendes in sicknes in darthe in death In all whiche losses the wyse vse so to comforte the weake that they geue them not iust cause euen at the firste to refuse all comforte And therefore they vse two waies of chereshyng the troubled mindes The one is when wee showe that in some cases and for some causes either they shoulde not lament at all or elles bee sory very litle the other is when we graunt that they haue iust cause to bee sadde and therfore wee are sad also in their behalfe and woulde remedie the matter if it coulde be and thus enteryng into felowshippe of sorowe wee seeke by litle and litle to mitigate their grief For all extreme heauinesse and vehement sorowes cannot abyde comforte but rather seeke a mourner that woulde take parte with theim Therefore muche warenesse ought to be vsed when wee happen vpon suche excedyng sorowfull leaste wee rather purchace hatred than aswage grief Those harmes shoulde bee moderatly borne whiche muste needes happen to euery one that haue chaunced to any one As deathe whiche spareth none neither Kyng nor Cayser neither poore nor riche Therefore to bee impacient for the losse of our frendes is to fall out with God because he made vs men and not Aungelles But the Godly I truste will alwaies remitte thorder of thynges to the wil of God and force their passions to obey necessitie When God lately visited this Realme with the sweatyng disease and receiued the two worthie ientlemen Heâ—ry Duke of Suffolke his brother Lorde Charles I seeyng my Ladies grace their mother takyng their deathe most greauouslie could not otherwise for the duetie whiche I then did and euer shall owe vnto her but comforte her in that her heauinesse the whiche vndoubtedly at that tyme muche weakened her bodie And because it may serue for an example of comforte I haue been boulde to set it forthe as it foloweth hereafter ¶ An example of comforte THough myne enterprise maie be thought folishe and my doynges very slender in busiyng my braine to teache the expert to gyue counsel to other when I lacke it my self and wheras more neede were for me to be taught of other to take vpon me to teache my betters yet dutie byndyng me to doe my beste and emong a nomber though I can doe leaste yet good will settyng me forthe with the foremest I cannot chouse but write what I am able and speake what I can possible for the better comfortyng of your grace in this your great heauines and sore visitacion sent from GOD as a warnyng to vs all The Phisician then deserueth moste thanke when he practiseth his knowlege in tyme of necessitie and then traueileth moste painefullie when he feeleth his paciente to be in moste daunger The souldiour at that tyme and at no tyme so muche is thought most trustie when he showeth at a nede his faithfull harte and in tyme of extreme daunger doeth vse and bestowe his moste earnest labour In the wealthe of this worlde what valiaunt man can wante assistence What mightie Prince can misse any helpe to compasse his desire who lacketh men that lacketh no monie But when God striketh the mightie with his strong hand and displaceth those that were hyghelye placed what one manne dothe once looke backe for the better â—asemente of his deare Brother and Godlye comfortynge his euen Christian in the chiefe of all his sorowe All menne communelye more reioyce in the Sunne risynge then they doe in the Sunne setâ—inge The hope of Lucre and expectation of priuate gayne maketh manye one to bear oute a countenaunce of fauoure whose herte is inwardelye fretted wyth deadlye rancoure But suche Frendes euen as prosperiâ—ye doâ—he gette theim so aduersitye dothe trye theim God is the searcher of euery mannes thought vnto whose iudgemente I referre the assuraunce of my good wyll And thoughe I can do little and therfore deserue as little thancke as I loke for prayse whyche is none at all yet will I endeuoure earnestlye at all tymes as well for mine owne discharge to declare my duty as at this present to say somewhat for the better easemente of youre grace in thys your heauines The passions of the mynde haue diuers effectes and theâ—fore worke straungelye accordynge to theyr properties â–ª For like as ioye comforteth the harte nourisheth bloude and quickeneth the whole bodye so heauinesse and care hinder digestion engender euyll humoures waste the principall partes and wyth tune consume the whole bodye For the better knowledge hereof and for a liuâ—lye syght of the same wee neade not to seeke farre for aâ—ye examplâ— but euen to come strayghte vnto youre grace whose bodye as I vnderstande crediblye and partelye see my selfe is soore appayred within shorte tyme your mynde so troubled youre harte so heauye that you hate in a maner all lyght you lyke not the sighte of anye thynge that myght be your comforte but altogether stricken in a dumpe you seke to be solitarye detestinge all ioye and delitynge in sorowe wishynge wyth harte if it wâ—â—e Goddes will to make youre last ende In whyche youre heauinesse as I desire to be a comfortoure of youre grace so I can noâ— blame your naturall sorowe if that nowe after declaration of the same you woulde moderate all youre griefe hereafter and call backe your pensifenes to the prescripte order of reason And firste for the better remedye of euerye disease and troubled passion it is beste to knowe the principall cause and chiefe occasion of the same Youre grace hadde two sonnes howe noble howe wittye howe learned and how Godlye manye thousandes better knowe it then anye one is able well to â—ell it God at his pleasure hath taken them bothe to his mercy and placed them with him which were surelye ouer good to tarye here with vs. They bothe died as
those whiche beste can praise or moste dispraise any thyng here vpon yearth I thinke it nedefull firste of all to gather suche thynges together whiche helpe best this waie Therefore in praisyng or dispraisyng we muste bee well stored euer with suche good sentences as are ofteÌ„ vsed in this our life the whiche through arte beyng encreased helpe muche to perswasion As for example where it is saied ientle behauioure wynneth good will and clerely quensheth hatered I mighte in commendyng a noble ientlemanne for his lowlinesse declare at large howe commendable and howe profitable a thyng ientleâ—behauioure is and of the other side how hatefull and howe harmefull a proude disdainfull manne is and howe beastly a nature he hath that beeyng but a manne thinketh hymself better then any other manne is and also ouer good to haue a matche or felowe in this life As thus if lowelinesse and Charitee maintayne life what a beaste is he that throughe hatered will purchace deathe If God warneth vs to loue one another and learne of him to be ientle because he was ieÌ„tle and humble in harte howe cruell are thei that dare withstande his commaundement If the subiect rebell against his kyng we crie with one voyce hang hym hang hym and shall wee not thynke hym worthy the vilest death of all that beeyng a creature contempneth his creatour beyng a mortall manne neglecteth his heauenly maker beyng a vile moulde of claie setteth lighte by so mightie a God and euer liuyng Kyng Beastes and birdes without reason loue one another thei shroude and thei flocke together and shall men endued with suche giftes hate his euen christian and eschewe companie When Shepe dooe straie or cattell doo striue one against another there are Dogges ready to call them in yea thei wil bite them as it hath been full often seen if twoo fight together and shall man wante reason to barke against his â—ewde affeccions or at the least shal he haue none to checke hym for his faultes and force him to forgeue Likewise if you would rebuke one that geueth eare to backbiters and slaunderers ye muste declare what a greate mischief an euill tongue is what a poysone it is yea what a murder to take a mannes good name from hym We compte hym worthy death that poysoneth a mannes body and shal not he suffer the like pain that poysoneth a mannes honestie and seketh to obscure and darken his estimacion Menne bee well accepted emong the wise not for their bodies but for their vertues Now take a waie the thyng whereby menne are commended and what are menne other then brute beastes For beastes do nothyng against nature but he that goeth against honestie thesame manne fighteth against nature whiche would that all menne should liue well When a manne is killed secretly wee aske Iudgement for the offendour and shall thei escape without Iudgement that couertly murder a mannes soule That separate hym from GOD that Iudge hym to helle whose life hath euer been moste heauenly When oure pursse is piked we make strieght searche for it agayne and emprisone the offendoure and shall we not seke recouerye of our good name when euyll tongues haue stayned it If our fame be of more price then is either golde or groâ—es what meane we to be so carelesse in kepynge the one and so carefull in kepynge the other Fonde is his purpose that beinge in the rayne casteth his garmente in a Bushe and standeth naked him selfe for sauynge the glosse of his gaye coate And yet what other thing do they that esteme the losse of money for greate lacke and counte not the losse of their honestie for anye wante at all Thus we see that from vertues and vyces suche amplifications maye be made and no doubt he that can prayse or dispraise anye thinge plentifullye is able moste copiouslye to exaggerate anye matter Agayne sentences gathered and heaped together commende muche the matter As if one shoulde saye Reuengemente belongeth to God alone and therby exhorte menne to pacience He myghte brynge in these sentences with him and geue greate cause of muche matter No man is hurte but of him selfe that is to saye aduersitie or wronge sufferinge is no harme to him that hathe a constaunt hâ—rte and liues vpright in all his doynges He is more harmed that dothe wronge then he that hath suffereth wronge He is the stowter that contemneth then he is that committeth wronge Yea he gayneth not a little that had rather suffer much losse then trye his ryght by contention Gaine gotte by fraude is harme and no gaine There is no greater victorye then for manne to rule hys affections It is a greater matter to ouercome anger then to winne a fortresse or a tower There is no greater token of a noble harte then to contemne wronge He that requiteth euill for euill throughe hatred of an euil manne is made euyll hym selfe and therfore worthy to be hated He that contemneth his enemye in battayle is counted a goodman of warre and a wise He that requiteth good for euill is an aungell of God He that mindeth reuengemente is at the next doore to manslaughter God is moued wyth nothynge soner to forgeue vs ourâ— offences then if we for his sake foâ—geue one another The requitinge of iniuries hath no ende Strife is best ended throughe Pacience Anger is a madnesse differing from it in this point only that anger is shorte and tarieth not longe madnesse abideth still It is folye to suffer the fome of a horse or the striking of his fote and not abyde anye thynge that a foole dothe or a noughtye disposed felowe speaketh No man trusteth a dronkard And yet seyng the dronkeÌ„nes of rage and madnesse of anger are much more daungerous then surfetinge with wyne he dothe foly shely that trusteth his owne wytte anye thynge when he is in a rage Good dedes shoulde all waies be remembred wronge doing shoulde sone be forgeuen and sone be forgotten Againe for liberalitye these sentences might serue It is the propertie of a God to helpe man He hathe receyued a good turne by geuynge that hath bestowed his liberalitye vpon a worthye man He geueth twise that geueth sone and chearefully God loueth the gladde geuer It is a poyncte of liberalitie sometymes to lose a good turne He that geueth to hym that wyll euyll vse it geueth no good thing but an euil thing Nothyng is more safelye layed vp then is that whiche is bestowed vpon good folke Be not afrayed to sowe good fruite Nothinge is better geuen to Christe then is that whiche is geuen to the pore No one man is borne for him selfe He is vnworthye to haue that hath onelye for him selfe The thirde kinde of Amplifiynge is when wee gather suche sentences as are communelye spoken or elles vse to speake of suche thynges as are notable in thys lyfe Of the first these maye be examples In lamenting the miserye of wardeshyppes I might saie it is not for
to take them for his seruauntes furthermore the harme is theirs whiche speake so lewdlie and the blesse theirs whiche beare it so pacieÌ„tly For loke what measure thei vse to other with the same they shalbe measured againe And as they iudge so shal they be iudged Be your grace therfore strong in aduersitie and pray for them that speake amisse of you rendryng Gode for euil and with charitable dealyng showe your self long suffryng so shal you heape cooles on their heades The boisterouse Sea trieth the good mariner and sharpe vexatioÌ„ declareth the true Christian. Where battaill hath not been before there neuer was any victorie obteined Yow then beyng thus assailed show your self rather stowte to withstaÌ„d than weake to geue ouer rather cleauyng to good than yeldyng to euil For if God be with you what forceth who bee against you For when al frendes faile GOD neuer faileth them that put their trust in him and with an vnfained hart cal to hym for grace Thus doyng I assure your grace God wilbe pleased and the Godly wil muche praise your wisdoÌ„ though the worlde ful wickedly saie their pleasure I praie God your grace may please the Godlie and with your vertuouse behauiour in this your wydohode winne there commendation to the glory of God the reioysyng of your frendes and the comforte of your soule Amen Thus the rather to make preâ—eptes plaine I haue added examples at large both for counsel geuyng for comfortyng And most nedeful it were in suche kynd of OracioÌ„s to be most occupied considering the vse hereof appereth full ofte in al partes of our life and confusedly is vsed emong al other matters For in praisyng a worthie man we shal haue iust cause to speake of all his vertues of thynges profitable in this lyfe and of pleasures in generall Lykewyse in trauersyng a cause before a iudge we cannot wante the aide of persuasion and good counsel concernyng wealth health life and estimacion the helpe wherof is partely borowed of this place But whereas I haue sette forthe at large the places of confirmacion concernyng counsel in diuerse causes it is not thought that either they should al be vsed in numbre as they are or in ordre as they stande but that any one may vse theim and ordre theim as he shall thynke best accordyng as the tyme place and person shal most of al require ¶ Of an Oration iudicial THE whole burdeine of weightie matters and the earnest trial of al controuersies rest onely vpon iudgement Therfore when matters concernyng lande gooddes or life or any suche thyng of lyke weight are called in Question we must euer haue recourse to this kynde of Oration and after iust examinyng of our causes by the places therof loke for iudgement accordyng to the law ¶ Oration Iudicial what it is ORation Iudiciall is an earnest debatyng in open assemblie of some weightie matter before a iudge where the complainaunt commenseth his action the defendaunt thereupon aunswereth at his peril to al suche thynges as are laied to his charge ¶ Of the foundacion or rather principall paincte in euery debated matter called of the Rheâ—oricians the State or constitucion of the Cause NOT onely is it nedefull in causes of iudgement to considre the scope whereunto wee must leauell our reasons directe our inuencion but also we ought in euery cause to haue a respect vnto some one especial poincte and chief article that the rather the whole drift of our doynges may seeme to agree with our firste deuised purpose For by this meanes our iudgement shalbe framed to speake with discretion and the ignoraunt shall learne to perceiue with profite whatsoeuer is said for his enstructioÌ„ But they that take vpon theim to talke in open audience make not their accompte before what thei wil speake after shal neither be well liked for their inuencioÌ„ nor allowed for their witte nor estemed for their learnyng For what other thyng do they that boult out their wordes in suche sorte without al aduisement vtter out matter but showe themselues to plaie as young boyes or scarre crowes do whiche showte in the open and plaine feldes at all auentures hittie missie The learned therfore and suche as loue to becoâ—mpted Clerkes of vnderstandyng and men of good circumspection and iudgement doe warely scanne what they chefely mynd to speake and by definition seke what that is whereunto they purpose to directe their whole doynges For by suche aduised warenesse and good iye castyng they shall alwaies be able both to knowe what to say to speake what they ought As for example if I shal haue occasion to speake in open audience of the obedieÌ„ce due to our souereigne kyng I ought first to learne what is obedience and after knowelege attained to direct my reasons to the onely proue of this purpose and wholly to seke confirmacion of the same not turne my tale to talke of Robbyn Hoode to showe what a goodly archer was he or to speake wounders of the man in the Mone suche as are most nedelesse farthest from the purpose For then the hearer lookyng to be taught his obedience hearing in the meane season mad tales of archerie and great meruailes of the man in the Mone beyng half astonied at his so great straing wil perhaâ—pes say to himself Now whether the deuill wilt thou come in man againe for very shame tel me no bytailes suche as are to no purpose but show me that whiche thou diddest promise both to tâ—ache perswade at thy first entrie Assuredly suche fonde felowes there haue been yea eueÌ„ emong Preachers that talking of faith thei haue fetcht their ful race from the .xij. signes in the Zodiake An other talking of the general resurrection hath made a large matter of our blessed Lady praisyng her to be so ientle so courtise so kynd that it were better a thousandfould to make sute to her alone theÌ„ to Christ her sonne And what needed I pray you any suche rehersal beyng both vngodly nothyng at al to the purpose for what maketh the praise of our lady to the confirmacioÌ„ of the general dowme Would not a man thinke him mad that hauyng an earnest errand from London to Douer would take it the next way to ride first into Northfolke next into Essex last into Kent And yet assuredly many an vnlearned wittelesse maÌ„ hath straied in his talke much farther a great deale yea truely as farre as hence to Rome gates Therfore wise are thei that folow Plinies aduise who would that al men both in writing speakyng at large vpon any matter should euer haue an iye to the chief title principal ground of their whole entent neuer swaruing froÌ„ their purpose but rather bringyng al thinges together to coÌ„firme their cause so much as they can possible Yea the wise experte men wil aske of theÌ„selfes how hangeth this to the purpose to what end do I