séeke his owne fathers destructiō But the consideration of this the worthy benefites of learning I leaue to their priuate iudgemēt which know the manifest differēce of good euil And returning to the purpose I say that obedience as in all ages estates it is necessary so in youth it ought chiefly to be plāted principally grafted Next vnto this ariseth the brāch of patiēce wherin cōsisteth the chiefe trial of wisdome And a stoute vertue is this that vanquisheth the swelling rage of wrath and resisteth the inuincible force of nature Bias the wise man being demanded what man was to be thought most infortunate answered euen he that is most impatient adding there vnto this reason that not the losse of goodes or change of fortune could so much prostrate a mans life as the vnquiet acceptance of such vnhappie chance doth molest and greeuously disturbe the tranquilitie of the mind the present remedie for such uncōfortable mischiefs is only patience the ouerwhelmeth heapes of sorrowes with hope of succeding pleasure the indifferētly susteineth the profits of peace and bitter stormes of war patience is the shield of intollerable wrongs that lighteneth the burthen of aduersitie seasoneth the ioyes of prosperitie the comfortable medicine of sicknesse the most wholsome preseruatiue of health What caused the Philosopher Socrates a mā of meane birth to be pronounced the only wise man of the whole world by the deuine Oracles of Apollo but patience what raysed the worthy renoume of Q. Griseld whose fame is registred in the court of euerlasting memorie but patiēce finally what stormes of strife what chāce of fortune or what force of mischiefe doth not the same patience ouercome for this cause wer the sage Philosophers wont to be receiued highly estéemed in the Courts of Princes that by the example of their modesty the noble Péeres rulers of the land might be the better instructed of indifference in the execution of iustice for according to the opinion of Aristotle vnworthily to him is the charge of authoritie committed that is vnable to restreyne gouerne his owne priuate affections Then if patience in a Prince be comely and in a Magistrate also necessarie howe muche more ought it of all good subiects dutifully to be embraced for as the vertue of a Prince is the chiefest authoritie of the magistrate so are the good conditions of rulers the best stay and strongest defence of inferioures And thus muche I woulde wishe to be generally perswaded vnto youth that as patience is the porter of prefermente so that all wrathfull and rashe reuenge is the ringleader of mischiefe and authoure of destruction But héere some will say perhappes what doctrine is thys that so confoundeth hygh courage what a cowardly minde hathe he that so debaceth manhoode can it stand with the courage of Achilles to forbeare or with the maiestie of Caesar to take wrong yea Sir and by youre leaue be it spoken howe muche the more noble is the minde so muche lesse is the reuenge of priuate wrongs by hymselfe estéemed and for thys cause that if the wrong consist in words be misdoubteth not his good fame and credite sufficiente to disproue and confounde the weake strength of false reportes but if prouoked wyth vniust déedes to séeke reuenge of iniuries It appeaseth the wrath of a noble conqueroure more to bée able to punishe than it contenteth hym vtterlye to destroy Was it agaynste the courage of Hercules that hée restored Priamus vnto the Sceptre and possessions of his father Laomedon was it againste the honour of King Hidaspis that he pardoned the false traytor Oroondates was it againste the maiestie manhoode of Alexāder that he refused the vnequall chalenge of Quéene Thomyris no but rather a speciall signe of heroicall magnamitie to despise light wrongs and nothing to regard such meane aduentures wherevnto this Prouerb may be applyed Aquila non capit muscas the loftie fierce Eagle prayes not on sillie Flyes But I meane not here to praise Thersites in stead of Aiax nor Aiax is to be preferred before Vlisses for it is not ynough for a man to be bolde without witte nor strong withoute wisdome but vnto whome those vertues are indifferently graunted he hathe in my iudgemente an absolute force and perfection of manhode Again there be diuers kinds of sufferance for as the execution of iustice and wrongfull persecution are not equal so constreyned sufferance and humble patience are not alike The patience of good Calisthenes the Philosopher enduring the cruell tormentes deuised by the tyrannie of Alexander was wonderfull but the desperate boldnesse or rather obstinate stubbernesse of Quéene Olimpias at hir death was not alike nor by anye meanes commendable Thus we sée that patience is the armour of righteousnesse agaynste whiche not the bitter stormes of aduersitie not the furious rage of tirannie no not the cruell passions of death it selfe can take place or any thing preuayle The last branche of Humilitie outwardly shewing the fruites of vertues humbleth it selfe in the face of all men and beares the floures of courtesie And truth it is that suche as is the trée like is the fruite for neyther cā we gather Figges of thornes nor Grapes of thistles This Vertue as in all places amongst all sortes it is commendable so in the Pallace of a Prince which is the Nursse of Fame and Theatre of Vertues it ought chiefely to bée fostered and dayly practised So agréeable to the nature of mankinde is thys gentle affection that by the consente of sage men it hathe bin called Humanitie and since by the friendlye corruption of the common sorte as I gesse from the Courte it nowe taketh the name of courtesie but wée wyll not stande so muche vppon the name as the perfecte vse héereof although in déede of late amongst oure Englishe Poets hathe risen a doubtefull controuersie as touchyng the true christening of thys Vertue in so muche as some call it a bastarde courtesie or in playne tearmes dissemblyng flatterie that couertly taketh possession of mens myndes in the Courtes of Princes nowe adayes but as these haue theyr priuiledge to speake what they liste so I doubte not but manye of the other haue a protection of selfe wyll to doe what they lyke best These menne maye bée resembled to the Philosopher Antisthenes who walked on a tyme in the common place at Athens amongst the Nobilitie verie muche dysguised in apparell wearing Ragges in stedde of Robes meanyng thereby couertlye to steale the name of Humilitie for that hée was otherwyse of good abilitie and reputation wellknowen But Socrates so soone as hée peceyued hym in that place thus attyred cryed aloude Beholde a man maye sée the secrete ambition of Antisthenes euen through the holes of his cloke whome presentlye the people all behelde with scornefull derision And thus was the déepe dissimulation of Antisthenes discouered by the readie witte and sharp rebuke
of Socrates I fynde in an olde writer a moste vertuous example of Humilitie practised by the Kyng of Hungarie whyche on a time ryding in hys Chariot accompanyed wyth a troupe of hys Nobilitie preparing themselues to sundrye disportes and martiall feates of exercise glanced his eyes aside by chance and beheld a couple of auncient poore men that were trauelling on the way wherevppon he commaunded his Chariot presently to bée stayed and comming downe from thence marched alone to méete these two Pilgrimes whome he chéerefully saluted and humbly on his knées embraced and after muche familiar talke betwéene them had the King sente them forwarde on their iourney very richly rewarded himselfe returning to his chariot as ioyfull as if he had done some greate aduenture But this thing done by the King openly in the face of all the nobilitie and chief royaltie of the Court was amongst suche a multitude one cause of diuers effects the only occasioÌ„ of sundry offences in so muche as some maruelling at thys strange curtesie with admiratioÌ„ were verie much astonished Other murmuring grudged at the gifts so vaynely bestowed but chiefely the prouder sort of the nobilitie were gréeuously vexed with scornefull disdeyne at the facte amongst whome the Kings brother was one whiche presently vpoÌ„ their coÌ„ming home to the Court withdrewe him selfe closely into the Kinges chamber where finding him with oportunitie of tyme sayde these wordes Syr I let you vnderstande that the Lords and chiefe royaltie of the Court wonderfully mislyked the straunge enterteinment you gaue to the base beggers by the way imputing it rather to the plaine disgrace and prophaning of your royall Maiestie than to the vaine pretence of any better ende and thus much is spoken in secrete of me by nature your brother and by dueties your humble subiect The Kyng hearing these words gaue him hartie thankes for his labour dissembling his purpose vntill the euening when all the Lords were departed to their lodgings Then commauÌ„ded he the deadly trompe to be sounded at his brothers gate which by custome of that countrey was wont to gyue warning presently before the death of a Péere vpon iudgement not to be reuersed The sounde whereof strooke such a terrour vnto him and his whole familie that calling his friendes togither they lamentably mourning passed all the night looking for nothing but death And the morning was nowe come when with a sorowfull traine of mourners himself the kings brother clothed in sackcloth bare heade with his comely lockes negligently dispersed abroad gastly to behold with his eyes fixed vnto death came thus into the Court abyding in the hall humbly on his knées at the kings mercie wherof the king being aduertised came downe at length vnto his brother bearing him self ignorant of this tragical shewe wherof notwithstanding he him self had bin the chief author chearfully demaunded before them all what was the cause of so straunge an alteration in his brother which heauily tolde him the sounde of the trumpe had thus fearefully warned him to put him selfe at the féete of his maiesties fauour wherat the king smyling sayd And is this the cause of so great a terrour vnto thée the hither vnto vs thou art come so disguised can the feare of â—eath by the iudgemeÌ„t of man which is vnâ—ertaine so soone coÌ„fouÌ„d thy lofty corage But why didst thou then so skornefullye wonder at me which humbled my self yesterday when I beheld the liuely and expresse image of death whose force no man can escape in those auncient men whome for age I courteously salute was it not more fearfull to behold the figure of death than to heare the sound of a trumpe is it not lesse cause of wonder in me to obey the lawes of God and nature than in thée to feare the iudgement of man whiche is frayle Therefore I pardon and aduertise thée my brother that as thou haste bene ouer dreadfull of man heretofore so that thou reuerently feare God aboue all men hereafter With these and suche lyke wordes the good Kyng modestlye reprooued and friendlye chastised the proude surquedrye of hys owne brother to the better example of all the Nobilitie of his court A worthy mirrour of Humility in the Maiesty of a Prince an especial paterne of the rare clemencie and curtesie of a Kyng And thus we sée the state of Princes muche better by dignitie of vertues mainteyned than by the force of worldly pompe and riches strengthened and vphelde the fame of true nobilitie by gentlenesse curtesie fostered the wealth of subiectes by duetifull obedience increased and to conclude the towarde wittes and singular good capacities of younge Courteours by sufferaunce well furthered and through modest behauiour humilitie worthily to be aduaunced Of Company and fellovvship CHAP. 2. PYthagoras was wont to say that commonly in a multitude the number of the wicked is most the flocke of good men leaste How true the opinion of this Philosopher is by dayly experience it is too plainlye prooued For where there is one man in these dayes incouraged by the rewarde of vertue to search out the secretes of wisedom there be many times as many which no doubt allured by the smiling lookes of vanitie doe spend their whole time in the contemplation and practice of folly Hereof commeth slouth the onely nurse of néed pryde the chiefe authour of penury filthy lust the mother of all mischiefes And to be short what shame what sorrowe griefe sicknesse plague death and that is worse than death what seuile bondage doeth not this deceiptfull emulation and pestileÌ„t force of ill company procure But there is a more curious kinde of people sprong vp of late dayes amongest vs which are so farre from imitating of any man that they principally study to make them selues lyke vnto no man And bycause in the Court there be multitudes and many men must néedes be diuersly disposed it behoueth a young Courtiour at his entrance principally to be aduised in the choyce of his fellowship and company for surely it is the chiefe point first meanes to winne or loose creadite and estimation Let him remember the good Counsayle of the kyngly Prophete Dauid that saeith with the iust thou shalt bee made righteous but with the froward thou shalt learne frowardnesse There be some and I feare too many that knowe not what goodnesse meanes neyther will they come where honestie dwelleth vnthriftinesse is theyr hauntyng house vncleannesse theyr delight quarrellyng is their exercise disdayne their companion and swearyng their common talke So that a young Gentleman accompanyed wyth suche companyons shall soone with the spoyle of hys goodes be discharged of the waight of hys creadite for if hée haue ought they will wayt of purpose to make hym spende they will spare theyr owne to be liberall of hys vntyll all be gone then flyng about for a newe supplie by such another companyon which is a foule shift and a shamefull refuge By this meanes manye
A NEWE Discourse of Morall Philosophie Entituled The Kayes of Counsaile Not so pleasant as profitable for younge Courtiours Optima est Patientia Victor AT LONDON Imprinted by Ralph Newberie Anno. 1579. Jndex Of humilitie Cap. 1 Of company felovvship Ca. 2. Of talke cōmunication Ca. 3. Of modest behauiour Cap. 4. Of selfe loue Cap. 5. Of vvine and vvomen Cap. 6. Of dyce play Cap. 7. Of trauaile Cap. 8. Of stabilitie Cap. 9. To John Kay the younger Gent. Haly Heron his Gouernour wisheth continuall health with increase of learnyng and vertues WHen I had well considered with my self how great affinities are sayd to be betwixt learning and good maners insomuch as either of them without the other seemeth to be vnperfect both equally ioyned O God how straight a course they take to wyn both worldly fauour eternall felicitie I haue thought good as well presently nourishing thy tender wittes by dayly instruction as hereafter when some priuate occasion may perhaps remoue me from thy company to leaue these fewe preceptes of morall Philosophie togither with my especiall good will towards thee bent in riper yeares of discretion to be well wayed and seriously folowed The gifts of nature which appeare in the blossomes of youth so bountifully bestowed vpō thee haue as it were by cōtemplatiō allured mee to giue these instructions of Courtly behauior not bicause I wold therby persuade thee to seeke suche doubtfull prefermēt but if hereafter by the good aduice of thy parents thou be commaunded or by deceiptful emulation drawen to such kinde of seruice that thou mightest in the entrance of so perillous a passage be well armed against those daungerous delights which vnto others for want of better gouernment hath bene the chiefe cause of ruinous decayes and skornful ouerthrow And first I woulde haue thee to vnderstande that the Court is a boysterous Sea where by the raging stormes aboue head the strongest shippes are throwen vpon the doubtfull rockes of displeasure and yet sometymes by the fauourable aspecte of fortune safely ariued in the quiet hauen of good happe It is like a steepe hyll or huge mountayne harde for any man to clymbe and yet apt for all mē easily from thence to fall downe headlong and especially to such as are swiftest of foote or rather lightest of heade nothing subiect to good counsel foresight of mischiefs The wayes are pleasāt the enterteinmēt sweet but the felowship is the more doubtful bicause that vnder so sweete a tast oft tymes lie many bitter pilles of hard digestion and as some say the common sicknesse of the Court is to surfeyt in the bākets of dissembling but no man can burne his fingers without fyre nor be deceyued where hee hath not ouermuch trusted Moreouer the way to vice is readily founde but the true path and footesteppes of Vertue not so easie to be folowed For nature is subiect to sinne and soone allured by the enticements of follie but noble Vertue requireth longer tymes of increase whose humble roote as it were by degrees spredding hir selfe abroade is the more stedfastlye planted in the firme grounde of perfect knowledge where not by kinde but customablye increasing bringeth foorth the flowers of worthie fame and soueraigne fruites of felicitie Thys is the marke whereat all men should leuell and the boundes of humaine life which by no meanes can be enlarged and as by the instinct of nature we are all moued with a prouident care to liue as by the maintenance of pleasures and needefull commodities of life it is manifest so muche more ought we by reason seriously to seeke the safe conduct of vertue that guideth vs directly to the Pallace of eternall life and euerlasting pleasures by this we haue fellowship with Angels in heauen after the consummation of this tragicall act but the other is cōmon to vs with all other earthly creatures Take therefore these instructions of vertue for a newe yeares gift at my handes which alluding to thy name I haue entituled the Keyes of Counsaile hoping the euē as by the prouidence of God and the furtherance of good parents hereafter thine estate may be worthily aduanced so that the daungerous course aduentures of youth by these my trauayles shal be the better directed and more safely gouerned I haue folowed the praise of vertue more than the reprehensiō of vice in this short discourse of maners for that with Cicero the Prince of eloquence I hold it greater glorie that is gotten by defence of honestie thā that is doubtfully receiued by disclosing of misdeedes If want of skill hath vnpleasauntlye closed vp the wyde fields of rethorical exornations in so good a matter accept the morall sense of simplicitie which tendeth rather to plaine profite than vaine pleasure But if perhaps the discourse seeme to be shorter than the greedie mindes and attentiue eares of the studious herein should require content thy selfe that the rest of my winter exercise hath bene applied to thine owne priuate instruction Farewell and thus much remember That life without learning is vnpleasant and learning without vertues vnprofitable Cal. Decemb. 1578. Thy Gouernour for the tyme and thy friende for euer HALY HERON Of Humilitie CHAP. 1. THE strong foundations of vertue groūded on Humilitie must of force his raised from the stedfaste rocke of Faith For as it is by true recorde of holy scriptures witnessed The feare of God is the beginning of wisedome And surelie when a man begins to consider the frailtie of fleshe and immortalitie of the soule the miserable calamities of this worlde and the inestimable ioyes of heauen of mankind the vaine folly and the true perfection of diuine nature and omnipotencie of God Euen then is he tryed with the touchstone of trueth or rather moued by the suggestion of holy spirit to feare the iust iudgement of the almightie mistrusting his owne righteousnesse which can not be but imperfecte Then is hée forced in the doubtfull stormes of Dispaire to caste anker in the quiet hauen of Hope then is he taught by the rigour of the law to clayme the priuiledge of faith appealing frō his owne merites to the mercies of Almighty God trusting not in earthly fancies but in the true fauoure of his heauenly redemption And this is the fayth the bringeth humble feare giues increase of heauenly wisdome frō whence as it were from a goodly fountaine of grace all other vertues haue their beginning but not frō reason alone according to the Philosophers opinion which appoint Vertue to be such a perfect quality of the mind that guideth vs directly in the executiō of right towards the atteining to felicitie a thing impossible vnto vs to deserue which by the corruptiō nature and frailtie of flesh are commonly withdrawen from that which is good and contrarywise allured to that whiche is euill and vncomely And lyke as the naturall plants without grafting yéelde bitter fruites and the grounde that is not by the continuall laboures of Husbandmen
their owne beautie to be diminished by tract of time thē begins the knowledge of their cunning to be expressed the full perfection of arte to bée practised they will not haue their smooth browes with vntimely wrincles to be defaced nor their comely chéekes of the roseal coulour so sone to be defrauded it wer vniust to suffer their beauty to decay for wāt of repratiōs which is the chief cause of their maintenance How should they be knowē for images vnles they be curiously painted how should they be taken for Sainctes if they were not gorgeously attired and how shoulde they be honoured for Goddesses if glistering in golde the maiestie of their person should not be fully furnished yea they kembe they curle they pinke they purle they streyne they fayne they wrinch they pinch and all to insinuate so fine a carcasse with alluring lookes into the practise of follie And dare you call them weake which in force haue vanquished the strongest and no maruell for what man hathe euer bin so strong but hathe bin vanquished by fonde desires of lust had Hercules bin burned had Giges bin slayne hadde Dionisius bin murthered had Anchus the sonnes of Arcinoë Cyrus and other innumerable Kings and Princes dyed of mischiefe but by the onely treason of women what shoulde I speake of warres sith Troy the chiefe Citie of all Asia was for a womans sake sackt wasted and lefte desolate I loth to recite Paricides though Scilla murthered hir father Nisus and caried his heare for a signe of loue to his enimie King Minos which scornefully refused the gift and abhominable giuer such are the frutes of lust and outragious desires of women And are they to bée thought simple which in wiles haue begiled the wisest and true it is for who hath euer bin deceyued where he hathe neuer faithfully trusted and whome shuld a mā trust if not his owne wife with whome he liues for whome he toyles in whom he ioyes and from whome he should receyue most loyal loue and most comfortable delight But alas in stead of comforte they giue care to their husbāds in stead of ioy they bring sorrow for meate mourning for drinke dolor for rest vnquietnesse for safety perils for peace discord and at last for his good desertes he is requited with the vile rewarde of mischiefe Was not Albinus the firste King of the Lombardes shamefully murthered by his faire spouse Rosamund was not Agamemnon serued after the same sorte wyth hys vnchast wife Clytemnestra howe spedde the wisest of them all Were not Salomō Dauid Caesar Antonius Tully Marcus Aurelius and others abused by the sleightes of their wiues and women And therefore who is nowe so fonde but wyll learne to bridle the affections of lust who is so blinde that sées not the false entycementes of follie and who so doltishe that will doate vppon suche kytes of Cresides kynde It is better with Phirimus the beautifull young Romaine to deface the Maiestie of comely fauour and beautie than with Narcissus to be cōfounded with his owne follie it is more commendable with Alexius to forsake the concupisence of the fleshe and folow the swéete contemplation of wisedome than with vnhappie Cephalus to séeke the tryall of faithlesse folke and fal into the snares of ineuitable mischiefe But in any wyse I would not haue the vertuous women modest virgines herewith offended For the reprehension of Vice increaseth the glorie and prayse of Vertue none otherwyse thā the beautie of the swéete Rose more brauelye shewes it selfe being set amongst Nettles and the Sunne appeareth more glorious in sight after the darke clowdes and droupyng shades of nyght is banished And to the rest I tel this tale to stop their own enuious conceit self hurting imagination There was a Lady of base birth borne in a barbarous countrey which by the fauour of blinde fortune was raised vnto the stage of honour wherein bluntly behauing hir self aswel towardes hir equals as inferiours shée was generally mislyked of all sortes in somuche as hir husbande also at length began to estrange himself vnto hir whose sad lokes she ouer hastily suspecting or whither it be that a continual feare vexeth the guiltie minde I cannot tell but she runnes hastily to méete a secret friende of hirs which was thē cōming out of the fields with his gown in his neck a lame Crow whose wings he had maimed in his hand and sodainely bemoned hir case vnto hym howe infortunate she was to be suspected without cause with an ample discourse of hir misfortunes The Gentlemā knowing hir disease to haue procéeded onelye from the ielousie of hir own cōceit had thought to haue giuen hir good counsaile in playne termes but he was disappoynted by the comming of hir husband which sodeinelye came vpon them vnwares and therfore he gaue hir this riddle for an answere before hir husbāds face Madam saith he you demaund what was the cause that I spoiled this carren Crowe which as you say was innocent true it is but yet sitting in the top of a trée safely shrowded frō sight shée could not be cōtent but discouered hir self by hir owne naturall voice which is vnpleasant for any man to heare And therfore hath bin subiect to this mischance as you sée whereof in my iudgement hir selfe hath bene the chiefe occasion And herewith smiling they went in all togither the Gentleman rounding in hir eare thus expounded his ridle So Madam I doubt sayeth hée that the too muche declinyng vnto your owne natural disposition hath bene the onely cause that the winges of your worthie Fame are now galled with the spitefull shotte of suspition And surely so it falles out many tymes wyth those which are not very cunning dissemblers that while they intende to coulour theyr craft by dissimulation they vnwarily discouer them selues by the force of their naturall affection for nature is aboue arte in the ignorant And Vertue aboue all things is estéemed of the wyse Of Dyce play CHAP. 7. AS there be dyuers sundry exercises of the bodye which are holesome bycause by thē both strength is worthily increased and health as warily mainteyned So there be many vnprofitable sportes vnlawfull games and leude practises which infecte the body with diseases pollute the minde with vices spoile the necessary goodes with vnthriftinesse and therefore ought of all men to be shunned and abolished For if we make our sporte and game to delyght why shoulde wée toyle so muche therein moste commonlye to our owne hynderaunce and disease but in losse is no delyght in payne is no pleasure neyther is there anye ioye in annoye and as the Poete sayeth Voluptatis commendat rarior vsus The rare practice and seldome vse commendeth pleasure moste Lette vs take for example amongest so manye other vnprofitable disportes the only immoderate vse of Dyce playe wherein if the pleasure be little the profite is lesse if the chaunce bée doubtfull the choyce is harde and thoughe the commodities
a mastye at a Deare a Greyhounde at a Beare Surely no more fitte and conueniente is it for a man to liue cōtrary to his own natural disposition It is harde to striue against the streame hop againste an hill and spurne againste the prick So the force of nature is inuincible which though she be resisted manye times for good cause yet she will neuer suffer hir self to be vanquyshed and quite ouercome And is it not reason that she which is the Authour of life shoulde giue counsayle in the order and good maintenance of the same should not the mother instruct hir childrē or doth not the opinion of the Iudge beare chiefe credite in the cause yes no doubte and so muche the sooner to be accepted by howe muche the more it séemeth to giue light and chiefe euidence to the truth of the matter but you will say the nature is corrupt therfore not méete to sit in place of iudgement in déed this reason is not light in other matters which séemeth harder to be confuted than maintayned if the consequente be true I coulde wishe it were nowadayes generally practised and approued but in this case I denye that nature of it self is corrupt nor vicious but custome nor hurtefull by anye meanes vnto it selfe and therfore not to be refused and it is manifest that discorde is in all things the authour of mischiefe wée sée that a kingdome diuided wythin it selfe cannot stande much lesse the man that is continuallye vexed with contrarie thoughtes and affections in his actes and operations can prosper Ther be diuerse parts and members of the bodie but the minde guideth them all into one kinde of motion Let vs take for an example that honourable state of mariage whiche by reason séemeth to be the firste steppe of Stabilitie for compassed by leasure and aduisemente it resembleth the ioyes of heauen and rashly enterprised it is equall with the tormentes of Hell it is only the treasure or discommodities prosperity or aduersity the only felicity or vnhappinesse of life wherein truely there is nothing so daungerous as the inequalitie of estates in such a stedfast knot and firme coniunctiō of two bodies for what likelyhood of condition can there be betwéen two of diuerse dispositions or what consent or agréemēt cā be foūd in ij cōtrarie natures whē one shal be lowly and the other lofty one ambitious the other curteous one chast the other incontinent one couetous and the other by nature churlishe And as the Wolfe cannot leaue to be rauenous nor vnthankefull swine learne to be curteous so the haughty Lion is merciful by kind the silly Lamb by nature innocent But we sée there is hard familiaritie betwéene any of these creatures bycause their natures be contrarie and therfore commōly they séeke one anothers destruction And as vnequal oxen can not wel drawe togither in one yoake so the match is marde where the mates are not like disposed and consequētly nothing els prosperous inuita Minerua to say nature not consenting And now to the second point of this deliberation there belongeth a dutiful regard in following the chiefe schoolemastresse experiēce vnto whose discipline instructiō wée haue bin longest accustomed For it is an olde saying Rome was not builded in one daye neither is any serious matter to be attēpted with ouermuche haste nothing is so hardly won which is more easily lost the strong hold or fortresse whose bulwarkes séeme to be inuincible at length with hard perilous aduētures is entred yet perhaps againe by slight policies in a momēt lost and recouered And next vnto Nature hir self Custome chalēgeth a large prerogatiue whiche in processe of time maketh hirselfe almost equall with Nature in force conditiōs For if we cōsider the whole regiment of the world which is by antiquitie of times principally directed in good things we shal find almost nothing in so large an Empire that is no subiect to the rule of custome first the generall fruite and propagation of kinde is by custome naturallye increased maintained by custome Emperours and kings are crowned by custome Knightes and Lordes created and by custome Iustice administred truth exalted dueties regarded Desertes rewarded mighte encouraged and to be shorte all kynde of good vertues easilye attayned and worthyly embraced the seruauntes of custome are these thrée Arte Vse and exercise and as these are by custome specially maintayned so by them al things also are vsually atchieued and from these commeth also experiēce which in any facultie or trade of life is most necessarie and herein appeareth the imperfection of vnskilfull youth whiche being ignoraunte of affaires sometimes enterprise to reach by a superficiall kind of knowledge vnto the practise of high mysteries too far aboue the slight consideration of their gréene capacities and in the ende in rewarde of counterfayte skill and presumption and fained holynesse they receiue the iust punishment of shameful reproch and confusion It is a common prouerb amongst vs he that maries in hast shal repent at leasure indéed a man can not be too chary in that choyce nor too circumspect in electiō of that trade wherein he meanes steadfastlye to run the whole course of his life if we doe entende to win friendship with any man sée howe circumspect we are in finding out his vain how curious in considering his cōditions and how nyce in fauouring his nature but doth it not stand vs more vpon in the maintenance of life to behold our owne properties and conditions for no man is borne wise nor any man can suddainely become happie but euen as in the spring time the naturall sappe and moysture of the trée breaketh out first into the blooming buds frō buds into blossoms and then frō blossoms by little and little into a more harder substance whereby it is better able to withstand the hurtfull blastes and bitter colde vntill at last it softneth agayne by the vertue of the Sunne when it commes to the perfectiō and ripenesse of the fruite so the naturall disposition of mankinde is first moued with affection to séeke knowledge then cunning is desirous to imitate the practise of vertues by the example of others that were famous and thus experience by custome bringeth a man at last to the full perfection of wisedome therefore the regard of cōtinuall experience in the choyse of mans life is most necessary Thirdly it behoueth man to be armed at all assayes against the change of tymes and mutabilitie of fortune for nothing in this life is stadfast permanent no countrey so rich that warres hath not wasted no quiet peace and tranquility so durable that discord hath not dissolued no beautie so diuine which by cloudes of care is not eclipsed no courage so stoute whiche by crooked age is not qualified and lastly no mirth no ioy no pleasure no pastime no loue no lust no kind of commoditie so perfect and permanent whiche is not by sorrowe care troubles enuie wrath mischiefe or misfortune made subiect to some change and alteration so that the minde is only constant whiche is content that man séemeth most happie that is patient as riches health honour alone without singular vertues maketh not fortunate so truth courage equitie bountie suche like without perfect rest and contentation of the mind cannot lay the plot foundation of Stabilitie for can we call hym riche that is couetous or courteous that is proude or noble that is scorneful no more can he be constant that is furious and fantasticall neyther ought any man to estéeme the choise of faculties trades of liuing to be the onely suertie stedfastnesse of life Sith that the giftes of nature and fortune both richlye possessed are not sufficient to the maintenance of felicitie for he is not to be accompted happie that is not absolute and perfecte of him selfe and coueteth more to encrease or feares any thing to be diminished And therefore Solon beyng demaunded of the rich Kyng Craesus what letted him to be called happie answered bicause he was yet alyue meaning that no estate of lyfe is frée from the bondage and yoake of sorrowe for neither Kings nor Princes can assure them selues stedfastly to stande in the good grace and fauour of fortune which by the example of Policrates was manifestly prooued whose estate was long tyme prosperous and so beautifully furnished with health wealth and pleasure that he began to be at defiaunce with fortune hir selfe and dispised the fawning fauour of Neptune that sent him his Kyng againe in the bowels of a Fishe which he had before wilfully caste into the sea being of great price to trye the friendshyppe of fortune But as the Sunne being at the highest must néedes decline by his naturall course againe So the blinde Goddesse whose lookes are like vnto brittle glasse that is not so bryght but it is assoone broken now beganne to shake the chaire of proude Policrates and assoone ouerwhelmed him in the paynes of helf whom shée had before hoysed vp into the ioyes and pleasures of heauen For of a King he became a captiue and of a happie man a most miserable wretche and so died at mischiefe And thus we sée by thys onelye example which maye be matched with innumerable of like sort that no life is certaine none estate stedfast and no cōdition nor any kynde of callyng without continuall cares troubles and aflictions And therfore I conclude that Pacience is the strongest armour of proofe to withstande the spitefull force of inconstant and variable Fortune FINIS Summum bonum Obediētia Pacientia Bias. Socrates Aristotl Hercules Hidaspis Fortitudo Comitas Antisthenes Psal. Poetae Philosophi Modestia Heliod Philautia Diogenes Simile Simile Hercules