promote and much enlarge that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and pollicie which is 〈◊〉 and genuine In which respect if vnto naturall promptnesse and pro 〈…〉 ty learning and experience be associated then indeed may a man perfectly performe any noble eminent and excellent act or imployment But peremptorily to auouch or affirme that men Famous for their excellent parts of vertue learning and intelligence cannot be able soundly exquisitely and considerately to discusse or discourse of euen those things whereof they neuer were personall Actors and Agents is doubtlesse the badge cognizance of an ignorant illiterate man yea of one who neuer knew the maiestie and excellencie the light and delight of Science and intelligence which Antiquitie was wont to call the Muses nor a Limine Salutarunt as it is in the old Adagie did they euer stand at the threshold to bid the Muses Good-morrow And Hesiod hath left this testimonie in writing that Hee himselfe got al his knowledge and experience in Nauigation from these Tutors and Teachers But whither runs all this prolixitie Euen hither Right Ho. this is the end thereof that your Honour would vouchsafe to hold me excused if peraduenture as hath bin foresaid I do not in its proper colours pourtray and delineate to the life that plat-forme and similitude of the life of a Courtier which either your Lordships noblenesse may require or those courtiers may expect whom in this point much time practicke experience the best Schoolmaster may more firmely haue informed in the rules and customes of the Court But as for others happ what hap may when the dice are to bee cast and my chance to be chosen I had rather with some impeach to my name write and say something according to my weake Talent which might be truely acceptable to you right Honourable Marquesse then vnseasonably or vnciuilly to be wanting in my bounden duty Therefore this one thing 〈…〉 submissiuely and earnestly desire that you◠〈◊〉 would be pleased courteously to respect 〈…〉 heart most faithfully and affectionately ho 〈…〉 ing and duely reuerencing your venerable and noble vertue and that in your accustomed courtesie you would fauourably accept and protect this my peculiar Dedication to your Lordship of which your Honourable fauour I am most confidently perswaded whose worthy and meritorious actions not only towards your owne Countrey and kingdome are by the Trump of â—ame blazoned abroad but euen your Lordships manifold fauours and benificent courtesies towards strangers also are euery where extant which blessed Britaine with most due and deserued praises doth publish and 〈…〉 lgate and euen wee that are strangers yea all neighbouring Nations both farre neere do most worthily wonder at Nor need I feare least what I haue herein writ should rather seeme to sauour of gnathonicall flattery then reuerently to loue and embrace your Honours noble vertues with true integrity for All that know your Lordships Excellency your so great grauity and Temperance all I say which doe neerely and throughly looke into them do know that I speake but what is most sincerely true and faithfull Finally that I may omit nothing which may conduce to the accumulation of your Lordships worthy praises the elegancy and gracefull pleasancy of your Honours Behauiour is such and so singular that not onely these present times but euen succeeding posterity will doubtlesse with a cheerefull voice commemorate and immortalize the same And than this what Greater Better Trulier can be said This is it which hath purchased and procured vnto your Ho the reputation approbation loue and singular supportation of our most religious gracious potent and most prudent King whereby we may and that with very good reason most duely and truely heere take vp that verse as true as auntient Gratior est pulchro veniens è corpore virtus Virtue is more louely much more acceptable Proceeding from a Bersonage amiable But I stray to farre time cals vpon me now to set vpon the Subiect it selfe before I proceede to any other matters First then let the Courtier or whosoeuer els which hath determined with himselfe to bestow and dedicate his endeauours to the seruice of Princes often deliberate thinke vpon this one thing that the Court The Court compared to a warre-fare in some sort doth represent and resemble loue or a warfare and louers we know will diligently remoue euery rubbe obstacle or impediment whereby they may content and please their beloued Souldiers also do labour and endeauor with all care and diligence and make this Courtiers to Souldiers the marke whereat they wholy leuell and ayme namely to follow their Captaine or leader and as much as in them lies to do what he commandeth so should an honest Courtier adorned and endued with wit and discretion bend and incline all his studie and industrious indeuours not onely with diligence to entertaine his Kings or Princes commission and command but promptly speedily and with all care and fidelity to discharge the charge which is committed vnto him And he which layes this foundation of a Courtiers life shall doubtlesse 〈…〉 in the sight of his Soueraigne 〈…〉 〈…〉 soeuer well nurtured and generously co 〈…〉 man will deuote and consecrate himsel◠〈…〉 follow the Court let him not presently imagine or conceit with himselfe that hee is to lead a soft delicate easie or calme kind of life but now must hee learne to beare patiently the courts encombrances yea to digest and swallow downe many leasings much enuy greiuous contumelies and malicious detractions Assuredly t is no fiction I tell thee but let euery Courtier which doth aspire and desire to attaine vnto that celestiall and eternall court of Heauen and which intendeth both constantly and sincerely to say and to doe that which may be gratefull to God and the common weale 〈…〉 addresse himselfe to this point to this resolution For that Courtier is in a great error and very much mistaken which hunts and hopes for nothing els in the Court but honour riches pleasure power and authority and long before hee enters into the Court 〈…〉 not seriously consider with himselfe that euen in these seeming sweet and odoriferous roses of Courtly delights full many thornes and thistles doe priuily grow vp for if wee doe but iudge and examine one thing by another and let truth take place we haue both knowne and read of in the memory of antient and moderne times many noble and worthy men yea such as haue exceedingly well deserued both of their Prince and common-weale who in Court haue wasted spent the most flourishing time of their youthfull yeares with great praise and applause of their Prince and all good people who not with standing all this haue oftentimes euen for triuiall or small causes yea sometimes none at all bin most lamentably molested and with enuy and detraction subtilly circumuented yea which is more and most miserable haue bine either wofully deiected and clapt vp into Prison banisht into bitter calamity or euen
certaine author or ground thereof let him by all meanes endeuor to confute and represse such euill and calumnious reports For many vnhonest vaine and prophane fellowes will Not to permit his Prince to be ill spoken of scatter abroad false rumors reports of excellent Princes that at one time or other the Courtier may not want occasion to iustifie and maintaine the estimation and reputation of his Prince that by this meanes he may purchase and procure to himselfe his Princes fauour and affection Furthermore let the Courtier very carefully cover and To keepe his owne secrets conceale from knowledge the exordium beginning and increasing hopes of his Princes grace fauour towards him otherwise that which was likely to haue bin peculierly appropriated and appointed to himselfe alone will be conuerted or communicated to his emulators or corriuals which were neither wisely nor warily done wherfore Taciturnity is mee thinkes in this case very behoofefull Taceturnitie profitable and necessarie as being indeed the best safest and surest vniting coard of the well managing of all our affaires And to this purpose let him remember that of the witty Poet. Sed tacitus pasci si possit coriuus haberet Plus dapis et rixamulto minus inuidiaeque If Aesaps Crow had fed in priuate place Hee well bad far'd not shar'd of hates disgrace Let all both inueterate and lately conceiued rancor To auoid all rancour and heart grudging hatred be farre remote and remoued from the Courtier for it cannot otherwise be but that he which retaines and maintaines them within his bosome should in the end be the speciall cause and procurer of his owne ruine downefall and destruction And as it is not fit he should nurse vp any intestine or secret malice in his heart so must he be most vigilant and circumspect that he quench and vtterly extinguish it so soone as ere t is forged and subborned within him Assuredly I easily see and foresee that that will come to passe if a man know and doe not hate the manners and conditions of Courtiers Let him then which will eschew and auoid the malice of other men a little decline giue backe in himselfe Let the Courtier also very carefully obserue this that when as he hath happily and fortunately according to his hearts desire obtained the grace and fauour of his To obserue his Princes inclination Prince he do not regardlesly neglect or abuse it in which respect it is most fit he should most curiously throughly learne to know the nature condition and inclination of his Prince so that as much as in him lies he may wholly accommodate and apply himselfe to his customes and conditions for as equalitie and paritie of inclination doth nourish and cherish amitie and friendship so contrariwise disparitie and vnequalitie therein doth dimolish friendship and in place therof builds vp hatred and contempt Let the Courtier haue an especiall care and make principall obseruation of the lawes customes offices conditions To frame himselfe to the condition of the Court he liues in and dispositions of that Court wherein he liues and vndoubtedly it shall free and secure him if not from the malice of all yet at least from the most Let him also consider and call to mind that if as now and than by the malice of time it is like enough to fall out he be constrained to put vp to digest and beare patiently any grieuous and troublesome matters yet let him euer attribute and ascribe more to the loue of Iustice than to the feare of malice and mischiefe for whosoeuer out of a feare of hatred flies Iustice shall be sure to be sensible of the punishment of iniustice but seldome or neuer shall he taste the sweet fruits of equitie in himselfe Wherefore kinde Courtier let me aduise thee that in a good and iust cause thou be patient and harden thy selfe against aduerse accidents so shalt thou be a victorious conquer and ouercome for this is most certainely true that he which can weare out the time of aduersitie and according to the mutabilitie of various occurrents can as occasion serues contract abreuiate prorogue or procrastinate delayes in himselfe may vndoubtedly reserue and fit himselfe for the expectation of a better time Now since the vulgar sort of common people is euer Not to relye on or trust vnto the loue of the common people variable vnconstant and murable let the wise Courtier neuer put any trust or confidence in them For assuredly the common people is a Hydra with many heads or rather a strange creature without either head or sound vnderstanding this is apparently knowne and Antiquities of all Pristine times doe testifie the same that many men haue perished and made a tragicall end who haue ioyned themselues vnto and taken part with the common people Therefore he whosoeuer he was said most truly and wisely Qui pendet ab errore opinione vulgi Pendet magis atque arbore qui pendet ab alta Nam quod semel euenit abijt id nocet nil At quod dubijs articulis stat instat vrget Vanescit adest esse malum id putabo solum He which on common Peoples voyce depends Hangs worse than he that 's hang'd vpon a Tree For that which quickly comne and gone we see No dire effects or lingring harme extends But that which doth of doubtfull parts consist Which moues remoues which straines constraines perplexeth Which comes and goes which vanisheth and vexeth That that 's an Ill or I the marke haue mist Phocylides also hath very exoellently painted out this Beast with many heads Populo ne fidas vulgus enim est varium mutabile Populus certe aqua ignis nequeunt plane contineri i th' common People put no confidence For they are vaine profane and variable To curbe or keepe them in thou art not able No more than fires or waters violence Let euery not onely Courtier but iudicious vnderstanding man whatsoeuer thinke assuredly perswade himselfe that this is a most slauish condition of life that a man should seeme to deuise vnto himselfe any proper or peculiar estate and fortune out of the disposition and behauiour of him to whom he is in bondage and thraldome and he which obserues and obayes the couetous enuious and ignorant common people who are altogether prone to mutability and inconstancy yea and which is the head and worst of all to those which are most ingratefull let him I say consider with himselfe whither t is likely that he can euer be happie or fortunate with such men Or shall he not rather as often as he remembers and cals to mind his owne estate and condition by Nature so often lament and complaine of his slippery Fortune and calamitie Finally let him know this also that he whom he commonly serues is himselfe most miserable and in that respect let him haue a great care that in the whole course of his Courtly
others which doubtfull businesses if they be so anxious and intricate that thou canst not deliuer thine opinion of them without manifest danger and detriment than t is farre better and more safe to confesse thy wants and honestly and soberly to excuse the same than either to plunge thy selfe into error or them into pernitious danger Let the discreet Courtier also speake of his Prince How to carry himselfe towards his Prince being absent when he is absent as though he where present wouldst thou know the reason with patience heare it and I shall willingly shew it Assuredly this is vndenyable that almost in euery Court Enuy and Auarice doe stand vp in a corner behind the painted cloth but flattery and Ambition will confront and out face thee let the Courtier therefore I say be aduisedly vigilant and that I may againe speake with Homer as formerly a fronte a tergo that is watch on all sides For such will seeme in shew to be thy freinds who indeed are nothing lesse who artificially and enuiously will coine and forge new termes quaint phrases thereby to induce thee to say somewhat touching thy Prince all this while aiming and leuelling at no other marke than that thou maist be induced either to make some ill report of him or to intrap thee by some craftie or captious apprehension of thy speeches wherein thou maist seeme to offend him absent whereof had himselfe bin present to heare he neuer had made any ill construction Wherefore let the Courtier be of Polypus mind to take vpon him diuers conditions and disposations seuerall shapes and shewes as time and place shall repuire yet neuer digressing from equitie and honestie Againe let the maiesty dignity and authority of thy Prince be alwaies so reuerently had in remembrance by thee that euen being absent thou so behaue thy selfe towards him as if he were present and suffer not thy tongue at any time to let slip the least sillable which may be either disgracefull to him or preiudiciall to thy selfe Modesty in an other kind of life doth excellently season Of modesty or Bashfullnesse set forth virtue but in Court to be bashfull not tocarry himselfe boldly as if he came of a base or meane parentage is most distastefull and disgracefull in the Court yet let the Courtier then take heed that he besot not himselfe with ouer much modesty which the Ethicks do not improperly or imprudently call Frigiditie or coldnesse of courage pusilanimity or faint heartednesse for he which thus vndiscreetly withdrawes or pulls himselfe backe being neuer called to the execution of important affaires nor in any notable or excellent emploiment assistant or seruiceable to his Prince shall neuer be capable of promotion or preferrement Let the Courtier likewise wisely auoide to much shamefastnesse that is such an excesse or extremitie therein as comes most neere to rusticitie and sottishnesse whereby we can scarsely do almost any thing but that we blush and seeme to be a shamed thereat notwithstanding that the thing which we doe be honest and laudable Certainely this disposition or motion of the mind is a silly seruant to regall or maiesticall gouernment and surely if euer this affection or disposition be to be put away t is as well heere in the Court as in the Martiall-Camp Certainely that Courtier shal be esteemed truly noble and renowned amongst the most eminent and illustrious who in all the actions and offices of his life shewes himselfe immoueable constant a contemner of riches a firme keeper and maintainer of what is iust and honest and which can with a constant couragious spirit passe by and beare patiently the vniust menaces taunts and threatnings of any what ere they be The Courtier which thus behaues and carries himselfe and may peraduenture at one time or other incurre the displeasure of his Prince and be inuironed and hedged about with the deceipt and subtilty of his enuious enimies yet let him still by all meanes entertaine a good hope and honest cogitations of his Prince for it may so come to passe that he who to day was incensed with anger against thee may tomorrow be reconciled to thee and to this purpose let the notable examples of Mordochai and Haman of Ioseph Dauid Daniell and many such like moue and admonish thee heerein It is almost vnvtterable how much a good and iust Of a cleare Conscience cause that is a cleare conscience may preuaile Listen vnto and learne this kind Courtier I advise thee that in euery estate and condition of life thou make vse of that rule which was prescribed by that wise and witty Poet. Sirecte facies hic murus a-heneus esto Nil conscire sibi nulla pallefeere culpa To do well is a wall of Brasse within Aguiltlesse heart not blam'd or sham'd with sinne A good conscience is indeed likened to a brasen Wall for Bias that famous Philosopher being asked by one Quid esset in vita metu expers what it was that could be absolutely free from feare in this life made answere that it was a good conscience Wherefore let a man haue euer a reputation or report and a cleare conscience as it were two strong wals of Brasse to opugne oppose all the calumniations contumelies and detractions of his malignant enimies yea I adde this also that a man that is faithfully conscious of his owne innocence should not be moued or molested with vniust slanders or backbiting nor should he thinke it a matter of more import and consequence to heare himselfe ill spoken of by another than to beare in himselfe the testimony of his owne integrity and vprightnesse And let not only Courtiers but euen all men of whatsoeuer place and condition of life as well Peeres as Pesants Fathers as Children as well the rich as the Poore haue recourse to this hauen of happinesse and fly to this Sanctuary for sauegard Finallie who soeuer intendeth wisely and discreetly to manage and order his life either in Publike affaires Petite hinc iuuenesque senesque Finem animo certum miserisque viatica Canis Let him what ere he be or young or old Make this prouision hereon take fast hold But I stray to farre therefore I come to the matter let not the wise and vnderstanding Courtier be too vrgent or instant for the vndertaking of such ambiguous rigid or To take heed what businesses he vndertakes intricate matters which he knowes or feares may proue distastefull and contrary to the desire and expectation of his Prince notwithstanding that he can yeild some reasons and probabillities for the same but let him rather either vtterly be silent or at least deale therein very sparingly and indifferently And to this purpose let him learne in obscure anxious and doubtfull businesses to expresse a more benigne dulcide and gentle opinion and all rigor being remoued and set a part let him so farre forth as the thing it selfe will admit worke and win his Prince to the most