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
you call more than fathers Annib. Those which are too cruell to their children and beate them continually like slaues for the least fault in the world Guaz. Truly those fathers are mislyked of all men for that withoute discretion they measure theyr children by themselues and requyre at their handes a matter impossible which is to haue them be old in their youth not suffering them to inioy in any sort that liberty whiche is alowed to their age And in my mynde they deserue no other name then of Schoolemaisters for that they cannot manner their children well vnles they haue a rod in their hande for if they were right fathers they would be content that their children should learne of them to know that the whole drift of humane lawes is nothing else but to refraine from doing ill to vse to do that which is good and honest which a childe is brought to rather by loue than by force but the authoritie which some ignorant fathers take vppon them is so great that without respecting age place time degree fashion or any thing they wyll keepe their children vnder by force and make them do euery thing contrary to their owne myndes yea euen to weare their apparell after the fashion of the good men of the time past Annib. It is most certayne that they do amisse in that whereby they make their children not to loue them so hartely and to obay them rather for feare then affection besides they consider not that the beating without measure and the keeping them in continuall feare is the cause that a manne cannot iudge to what manner of life they are naturally inclined Moreouer it dulleth their wittes and represseth their naturall vigour in such sort that there is no mettall left in them and by fearing alwayes to fayle in their doinges they neuer but faile in them and comming in any company they know neyther which way to looke nor what to do Therefore they ought to leaue their butchery beating and consider rather that for the lacke of yeeres their chidren cannot haue perfect vnderstanding and experience in things wherby they are to be borne withal when they do amisse Guaz. I like those fathers well who can keepe their children in awe only with shaking their head at them or vsing some such like signe and can only with a word correct them and make them ashamed of their faulte But I am perswaded that there are few fathers that know how to keepe the meane but that they will eyther bee to rough or to gentle to their children whereof as the one driueth them to desperatnesse so the other bringeth them to dissolutenesse Annib. We must thinke that a childe hath giuen vnt◠him a father and a mother to y e end that of the wisdom of the one and the loue of the other that Meane which you meane may be made and that the seueritie of the father may bee somwhat mitigated by the lenitie of the mother Guaz. You may in my opinyon yet adde one occasion more of the disagreement between the father and the childe which is the partiall loue of the father towardes his chyldren Annib. Do you take that to be a fault Guaz. Do you thinke it reasonable that hee should imbrace and loue one more than an other and that all being of his fleshe and blood he shoulde cast a merry countenaunce vppon some of them and a seuere looke vppon other some Annib. Of the sonnets other cōpositions which you haue made is it well done of you to like some better then other some yea and perchaunce those which are worst best And be you assured also that your father loueth not all his children alike and yet he of you whom he loueth least cannot iustly complayne of him Guaz. I giue my father no occasion to vse me worse then the rest and therefore if he should doe it I should haue iuste cause to complayne of him while I liued Annib. You haue reason if he vse you yll mary not though he loue you lesse then he doth some other for inequalitie of loue is permitted to the father but not yll vsage Guaz. How meane you that Annib. A father that is a merchant hath one sonne that is a scholar another a souldiour and an other a merchaunt of those three it is a great chaunce but he will loue the merchaunt best for that he seeth him like to him selfe in life and manners Where in his other sonnes are to beare with him for that by nature we are ledde to like those thinges which resemble vs most mary if he shall not giue them as good alowance for their dyet apparel and other necessaries as he doth to the merchant they shall haue occasion to complayne of him as vniust Guaz. O how hard a thing is it for the father after that partiall passion is once entred into his hart to minister iustice indifferently Annib. The greater is the wisdome of the father who preferring the merites of his children before his owne partiall affection maketh his senses yeelde to reason and sheweth him in deedes alike towardes all I will not denye but that the father by his authoritie ought to distribute his fauoures as he seeth good to one more to another lesse according to the demeanor and doinges of his children for as by gentle vsage he incourageth a childe that is well giuen to doe well so by harde handling hee may bring one that is vntoward to goodnesse yea if he haue any child which is quite past grace without any hope of recouery he may lawfullye not only loue him lesse then the rest but quite cast him out of his fauour like as Aristippus did by a lewde sonne of his and being reproued for it by a friende of his who willed him to consider that his sonne was a collup of his own flesh and came from his Loynes he aunswered That lice and a great many superfluities come from a mans body yet being il they are to be cast away But those fathers are gretly to be blamed who with vniust partialitie and without any reasonable consideration vse one childe as legitimate and the other as a Bastard whereof it followeth that he which is so coursely accounted of doth not only fayle in affection towardes his father but beginneth to fall to secrete warre with his other brother whereby the father whose chiefe office is to establish quiet and concorde amongest his children shall by his vndiscrete and vniust partialitie plante amongst them a roote of continuall discorde * And therefore the Father ought to be well aduised how he preferreth in good wil one childe before another and not to doe it vpon euery light occasion As there are some which will doe it not for anye fault which is in them but for some naturall defect wherein in my iudgement they do much amisse in making their innocent childe beare the punishment of their own imperfections who at the time they did beget him were no doubt possest with
but only for that vvhich vve purchace by our owne industry and if you shall chaunce to enter into reasonyng with them they wyll at the seconde woorde make protestation that they are no Schollers whereas notwithstanding they haue spent all theyr tyme in studie Why Gentlemen is it a shame to shewe to be that which it is a shame not to be In diuers thynges nothyng so good as Learning You are desirous to seeme to be that which you are not and in Learning the best thyng of all others are you afearde to shewe to be that which you are Alas you wyll be but vngentle Gentlemen yf you be no Schollers you wyll doo your Prince but simple seruice you vvyll stande your Countrey but in slender steade you vvyll bryng your selues but to small preferment yf you be no Schollers Can you counsayle your Prince wysely foresee daungers prouidently gouerne matters of state discreetely without Learning no experience must then be your guide which wyll be but a blynde one it must be your Scholemaister but you shall finde it a dangerous one To come lower can you discourse with Strangers inquire the state of forraine Countries geue entertainement to Ambassadours being no Schollers no surely vnlesse it be with dum shewes and signes lyke as of late a pleasaunt Gentleman who could haue spoken sufficiently yf he had been put to it being amongst others commaunded to ryde to meete an Ambassadoure that was commyng to the Court at his returne a Noble man asked hym merily what he sayd to the Ambassadoure when he met hym nothyng sayd he but kist my Horses mayne and came my way To come lowest of all Can you so much as tell your Misstresse a fine tale or delight her with pleasant deuice beyng vnlearned no it must needes eyther be altogether vnsauerie or els seasoned with the salte of others and whether thynke you it more shame that you should shew to haue of your owne or that she should knowe you filche from others You knowe Caesar was a braue Gentleman but yet he was a Scholler but yet he wrote Bookes but yet he came in print Marcus Aurelius was an Emperour but he was learned and set foorth learned woorkes Therefore Gentlemen neuer deny your selues to be Schollers neuer be ashamed to shewe your learnyng confesse it professe it imbrace it honor it for it is it which honoureth you it is only it which maketh you men it is onely it whiche maketh you Gentlemen And marke this when you wyll yf there be any in any place which seeketh to come vp or benefite hym selfe by flatterie by briberie by slauerie by vallanie I dare warrant you he is altogether vnlearned for hauyng no good partes no good giftes in hym which may preferre hym he flyeth to those sinister shyftes as his surest stayes whereby you see that it is Learnyng which accomplisheth a Gentleman and the want of it which blemisheth hym and that neither comlinesse of personage neither gaynesse of garmentes neither any exteriour Ornamentes are to be compared to the lineamentes oâ— Learning without which though a man shake the feather after the best fashion and take vpon hym neuer so bygly he shall neuer be accounted of amongst the wyse nor neuer be filed on the roale of ryght and sufficient Gentlemen And this I hope wyll satisfie those which mislyke that Gentlemen should publishe the fruites of their studie especially seeing thereby Learning is aduaunced and a great number pleasured and profited and seeing the only way to win immortalitie is either to doo thinges woorth the writing or to write thynges woorthy the readyng And yf they obiecte that that seeking of immortalitie is a signe of vayne glory to answere them playnely and humanely I am flat of this minde that they which passe not of prayse wyll neuer doo any thyng woorthy prayse There are some others yet who wyll set lyght by my labours because I write in Englysh and those are some nice Trauaylours who returne home with such quaesie stomackes that nothyng wyll downe with them but Frenche Italian or Spanishe and though a woorke be but meanely written in one of those tongues and finely translated into our Language yet they wyll not sticke farre to preferre the Originall before the Translation the cause is partly for that they cannot so soone espie faultes in a forraigne Tongue as in their owne which maketh them thynke that to be curraunt which is but course and partly for that strange thynges doo more delyght them then that which they are dayly vsed to but they consider not the profite which commeth by readyng thynges in their owne Tongue whereby they shall be able to conceiue the matter much sooner beare it away farre better then yf they reade it in a strange Tongue whereby also they shall be inabled to speake to discourse to write to indite properly fitly finely and wysely but the woorst is they thinke that impossible to be doone in our Tongue for they count it barren they count it barbarous they count it vnworthy to be accounted of and which is woorse as I my selfe haue heard some of them they report abrode that our Countrey is barbarous our maners rude and our people vnciuile and when I haue stoode with them in the comparison betweene other Countreys and ours and poynted with my finger to many grosse abuses vsed in the places where we haue ben when by no reason they haue ben able to defende them they haue shronke in their necke and tolde me that it was the fashyon of the Countrey not considering that the maners and fashions of eche Countrey are the only thyng that make it counted barbarous or ciuile good or bad But for our Countrey I am perswaded that those which know it and loue it wyl report it for the ciuilest Countrey in the worlde and if it be thought to be otherwyse by strangers the disorders of those traueylers abrode are the chiefe cause of it And to speake but of the lyghtest their enuying one another their deprauing one another their flowing one another their falling out one with another their fighting one with another in the open streete as with blushyng I haue often behelde in Paris their contemning of their Countrey fashions their apish imitation of euery outlandish Asse in their gestures behauour and apparell are the only causes that make Strangers count our Countrey and our people barbarous for at home it is well knowne that vve liue in lawes as orderly in maners as decently in apparrell as coâ—â—ly in diet as delicately in lodging as curiously in buildinges as sumptuously in all thinges as aboundantly and euery vvay as ciuilly as any Nation vnder Heauen For the barbarousnesse of our tongue I must lykewyse say that it is much the worse for them and some such curious fâ—llovves as they are 〈◊〉 if one 〈◊〉 to deriue any vvoord from the Latine vvhich is insolent to their eares as perchaunce they vvyll take that phrase to be they foorthvvith make a
you may knowe that it is much better to talke with the liuing than with the dead Againe I note this that the spirite of a solitarie man waxeth dul lither hauing none to stirre it vp awake it in demanding some question touching his learning and in reasoning vpoÌ„ it or else he waxeth hautie proude by vaine beliefe for not comparing any with himselfe hee attributeth too much to himself On the contrary side he which heareth other to commend his studies hath them in more admiration hee which is reprehended amendeth his faultes hee which is any thing negligent is pricked forwarde by his corriuals which séeke to outgoe him in glory And as hee thinketh it a great shame to come behind his equals so doeth hee count it a great honour to bee able to goe before his betters But aboue al other things the commendable controuersies which arise amongst learned men haue most force to quicken the spirits For by disputing they learne that which they learne in that manner they vnderstande best they expounde best and remember best And while they dispute by liuely reasons indeuouring to get the vpper hand ech of other the perfect knowledge of things is come by thervpoÌ„ it is commonly saide that Disputation is the sifter out of the trueth And for so much as the trueth is taken froÌ„ the common consent opinions of men those opinions can not be knoweÌ„ but by conuersation and companie which the Poets meant to shew and infer reporting that though Iupiter was God omnipotent yet he called the other gods to counsaile and heard their opinions But let vs set fables aside doe we not knowe that the waighty wonderful institutioÌ„s of the holy church procéede not from the Pope onely but from the holy general counsailes where they haue bin discréetly wayed allowed Besides is it not the fashioÌ„ of al princes where there is question of the affaires of their estates because they wil doe nothing of their owne heads to assemble their counsailours to determine matters according to their aduise Common-weales Cities yea smal townes do they not assemble together to choose officers to establish orders by common consent Is it not the vse of Magistrates to take the common aduise and opinion of their assistentes and we phisitions do we not the like in our assemblies Colledges wherein wee take resolutioÌ„ touching the healing of the sicke by the aduise and iudgement of the greater part Did not Apelles take delight to set his pictures abroade to throud himself secretly néere vnto theÌ„ to heare the opinion of the beholders when many were of one mind in reprehending some part did not hee mend it according to the common voices and opinions * And did not another painter say that the people was the maister of whom he had learned his art * And lastly was it not the vse of a wise Emperour whose name I now remember not to send spies abroade euery day to harkeÌ„ what was said of him altering somtimes vpon that occasion his maner of dealings and reforming his life from good to better according to the reports were made vnto him Uerily he hazardeth too much who reposeth himselfe in his own iudgement And it is a coÌ„mon saying that he doth wel which couÌ„sayleth himselfe wel For which cause counsel is estéemed for a holy thing I am not able sufficiently to expresse the great good which commeth of conuersatioÌ„ of y e knowledge which entreth in by the eares sinketh into the mind comming from the mouth of learned men But I wil tel remember you of the honorable Academies or Uniuersities which for that purpose haue been instituted in many cities of Ialy amongst which we must not forget to speake of that in Mantua fouÌ„ded in the house of the most famous Lord Caesar Genzaga a mightie prince and a special patrone of learned men neither that in Pauia which flourisheth prosperously by reason of the great nuÌ„ber of students But perchance it is a thing to be meruailed at y â— in that litle citie of Casal the Academie of y e Illustrati maketh so gallaÌ„t a shew But for that the time serueth not to speake of the excellencie therof to returne to the matter in question I say that the fruite which is gathered by these Academies is inestimable and that they know wel what they do which haue any doings in them For knowing that one alone cannot of himselfe attaine to many sciences for that an art is long and life is short there they may obtaine whatsoeuer they desire For some discoursing of diuinitie some of humanitie some of Philosophy some of Poetry and other diuers matters they partake mutually in coÌ„mon of that which euery one priuately with great paine long study hath learned by the example of those who béeing not able to liue of themselues make good cheere at their table méet together with other of their neighbors in one place bring euery one their cates with them and thereof make a suptuous feast And therfore it hath bin very profondly said y t man is a god vnto maÌ„ for that one receiueth so great pleasure and comfort of another Which selfe thing is represented vnto vs by the picture of the blinde man carying vppon his backe the lame créeple who teacheth him the way and thervpon wel saith Almanni So of twoo halfes the whole is fitly made the one with eyes the other with feete doth aide I say then againe that conuersation is the full perfection of learning and that it more auayleth a student to discourse one houre with his like then to studie a whole day by himselfe in his studie Yea and in conferring with his companions if he haue vnderstood any thing amisse he therby most commonly commeth to the right meaning of the matter cléereth his minde of many errours * and beginneth to perceiue that the iudgement of one alone may bee easily darkened with the veile of ignorance or of some passion and that amongst a multitude it seldome falleth out that all are blinded and finally vpon proofe he knoweth that vertue knowledge set foorth in bookes is naught else then a painted vertue and that true vertue and learning is gotten rather by practise then by reading * But it is nowe time to answere you touching the inconueniences which are incurred as you say by conuersaâ—ioÌ„ which make vs turne out of y e right way alter our good purposes by accoÌ„panying with men of lewde behauiour And though in my fancie you might satisfie your self with some reasons alreadie alledged yet I will say further y t it is true y t as some diseases of y e body are infectious so y e vices of the minde take froÌ„ one to another so that a drunkard draweth his companions to loue wine a Carpet knight corrupteth effeminateth a valiant man so much force hath coÌ„tinual conuersation that oft times against our wils we imitate
Christian you ought to flie them yet as a Courtier you cannot kéep you from them not so much for the great number of them as for the error of the world which estéemeth them in the rowe of the tollerable To be short wée ought to consider that our name dependeth of the general opinions which haue such force that reason is of no force against them and therfore wée must auoide those which beare a marke in their forehead and are openly knowne to bée dishonest Guaz. What will you say if I haunt the companie of such as a Phisition to cure their infirmities as one gealous of their behauiour Annib. If you shall think your selfe able to bring them into a better way you shall do a déede acceptable vnto God and the worlde to vse their companie * Mary hée that coueteth to reape commoditie of conuersation must séeke all that hee may to bee amongest those that either may bee made better by him or els may make him better * but these of whom I speake haue made a sacrifice of their soules vnto the Diuell and haue cast of all care of honour and of other mens opinions of them and are so farre gone that you wil rather become a conuert then a conuerter but herein you must imitate the good Archers who shoote not at euery birde but only at those that are within reache to bée hit Guaz. What men doe you meane to bée those which cary a marke in their forehead and are intollerable Annib. Those who for notable cause are hated of the worlde as some for suspition of heresie some for theft some for vsurie other for other misdéedes to whom wée must adde ruffians harlots flatterers dicers cooseners and such who for the basenesse of their condition and trade of their life are holden for infamous * as Sergeants Hangmen Tormentours * Besides such as differ from vs in religion as Iewes Turkes c. And to bée short all those which haue an euill report and who oftentimes for their desertes are newe christened and haue suche reprochfull names giuen them that most men eschew their company an as infectious disease * and thinke it a great shame to bee séene among them * Guaz. But howe shall I behaue my selfe with some whom I knowe farre more wicked then those whom you haue spoken of albeit by their dissembling hypocrisie they are accounted of euery man for honest men Annib. It is a common saying That he which is euill and taken to bée good may doe muche mischiefe and no man thinke him to bée the worker of it Notwithstanding I put these same in the number of the tollerable for though it trouble your conscience to come in their companie yet you giue no occasion of mislike to the worlde for that they are not reputed euill and in this point wée ought to satisfie rather others then our selues and to giue place to the common custome Guaz. Doubtlesse custome is a great Tyrant and I knowe no reason why it ought to preuaile aboue reason And * as the riuer Po king of riuers being ouer néere vnto vs for that there hath béene no resistance made against it is within this sixe yéeres come so farre forward and hath wonne so muche grounde vpon this Citie that at length it hath broken the walles and nowe threatneth to ouerthrow them so in like maner the violence of custome for that wée haue too much suffered it hath at this day in manner vanquished reason which to bée true if you marke some countries on this side the mountaines as I did at my returne out of France you shall finde them falne to a life more â—â—ée that I may not say licencious then hath been vsed heeretofore and you sée throughout the townes some of those which are taken for Gentlemen to spende the time openly in the market place in carding and dicing so fréely as men vse to doe in their priuate houses Annib. You tell mee no strange thing neither ought you more to maruell to see those same play at those games openly in the stréete then to sée the Frenchmen as I haue hearde they doe quaffe and carouse in Tauernes and I am perswaded that if some Gentleman more precise then other shall withdraw himself from this maner of play not vouchsefing to make one amongest them hée shal be mocked and termed disdainful either a wise man or Doctour or a Poet or some such like But withall I woulde you shoulde knowe that this newe manner of life hath in it some colour and excuse for that those Countries of Piemont which you speake of hauing béen for these many yeeres a continuall receite for souldiers of many nations the people are not only become warriers but haue retained the customes and rytes of warre Guaz. Are you then of opinion that a Gentleman ought to conuerse with such manner of people Annib. Upon this point there present themselues vnto mée two contrarie reasons For if I respect the common vse of the Countrie which is nowe become auncient and hath taken déepe roote wee cannot but put them in the number of the desirable and wee may boldly vse their company On the other side if I set my selfe to consider that this gamesome life is offensiue and of euill example and that in all other Countries the Gentlemen and those which are well borne woulde count it a shame to bée founde in publike places with cardes in their handes some perchance woulde place them in the ranke of the intollerable Notwithstanding betwéene these twoo extréeme reasons I sée one in the middest betwéene them which maketh mée of opinion that these men are to bée counted tollerable for that though they haue by vse this abuse of playing yet you shall finde that they apply it not to that ende which oâ—her gamesters doe to make a gaine of it but for pastetime and recreation sake and besides wée knowe that for the rest of their life they are so modest and vertuous as any other people are And therefore I thinke that that custome of playing béeing iudged of the worlde neither good nor euill these men which vse it are not to bee reiected out of honest companie Guaz. In my opinion this is a kinde of iniustice to allowe that to these which is inhibited to others and to giue them power to make of vice vertue Your meaning is then as farre as I gather that as it is lawefull onely for the Cinganes to robbe so these also haue priuiledge to play in open stréete But I woulde haue them thinke that the stréetes publike places ought to serue the common people for merchandise and the Gentlemen for iustes turnies shewes such like exercises which appertaine more to good horsemanship and warlike discipline then cardes and dice doe And therefore I am perswaded they haue nothing else to say for defence of this their custome but that which Diogenes said who béeing asked why hee eate openly in the stréete answered because hée was a
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
inferiour to mée as I knowe you to bée greater you shoulde commit a greater fault then I to attribute so much to your selfe For considering that I come nothing néere to that which you thinke to bée in mée you shall offende in arrogancie and vaine-glorie Guaz. But in my minde making your selfe meaner then you are you offend in a certaine abiectnesse of minde or in a kinde of dissembling rather courtlike then Philosopher like I thinke you will not commende those who hauing much vnderstanding stande little or nothing vppon it or beeing knowen for woorthie men séeke to imbase themselues * by bearing false witnesse against themselues * Annib. Truely I cannot but blame them for to disprayse ones selfe too much sheweth either some secret ambition or some manifest basenesse of minde And I count no lesse woorthie reprehension those who on the contrarie exalting themselues too much touch as they say the firmament with their finger But I am sure that in speaking at this present of my selfe I haue measured my forces neither haue I swarued one iote from the trueth Guazzo Séeing wée are fallen vppon this matter tell mée I pray you if you haue any sure remedie whereby a man may gouerne and keepe himselfe in the midway so that hée suffer not himselfe to be hoysed vp into the ayre like a ball full of winde neither to fall deadly to the ground as a body without breath Annib. To finde then the skill of Dedalus and to kéepe the mid way you must search out the cause of the faulty extréemes and that being once knowen you shall soone haue the remedie you require Those faults then growe for the most part of solitarinesse and for want of experience in the affaires of the world Which causeth that into a base mind there entreth the distrust of his owne doings and the feare of other mens iudgement Contrariwise that in a noble minde there groweth an ouer greate presumption which transporteth him with an ouerwéening of himselfe and a course account of others And therefore if these manner of men frequented the companie of those who are wise and learned there is no doubt but that the doings of other men woulde serue to the one of them for a spurre and to the other for a bridle Guaz. There are some doubtles woorthy great blame and mockery who suffer those good parts which bee in them to bée drowned in their cold and timorous hearts in like sort as stones are in the water And I coulde name certaine eloquent personages who hauing to speake in the presence of many become quite dumbe Some others I haue knowen in like case ready to fall into a sowne Whereby I iudge them meruaylous vnfortunate that cannot helpe themselues with those qualities they are indued withall at such tyme as they stande in most néed of them and better it were in a manner to be altogether without them Annib. It cannot be denied but that those men are infortunate but let vs nowe consider the arrogancie of those who being full of presumption and blinded with the loue of themselues sée not their owne imperfections and neuer care to knowe what opinion the worlde hath of them Which is a signe not onely of presumpteous arrogancy but also of sencelesse brutishnesse whereof insue many inconueniences for so much as according to the saying of a wise fellowe Great euill is caused by that ignorance which seemeth to it selfe sapience Guaz. It is a smal fault in my fancie to desire to be taken to be wise but the worst is that we wil make our selues also beléeue that wée are so Annib. Therefore it is sayde that it is the easiest thing of all other for one to deceiue himselfe and I remember I haue read in the life of Esope that a great personage passing thorowe a stréete where were thrée slaues to bée solde the one a Gramarian the other a Musitian and the thirde Esope first hée asked the Gramarian what hée coulde doe who answered all things then hée asked the Musitian the like question who answered as the other did but comming to Esope hée asked him what hée coulde doe who answered nothing at all Howe happeneth that sayeth the Gentleman marie sayth Esope these twoo héere being able to doe all things haue left nothing for mée to doe Whereby wée may see that those who will not presume to bée able to doe any thing knowe howe to doe most things and those who take vppon them to knowe all things are those which commonly knowe nothing at all For so muche then as wée knowe that for want of knowing and beeing experienced by meanes of conuersation in the natures manners and dooings of others wée offende eyther by arrogancie or by distrust you may consequentlie perceiue that the remedie which you séeke to flye those extréemes and to followe the meane is ciuile conuersation and that chiefly which is practised out of the house haunting many and diuers persons whereof wée haue to speake this day Guaz. I woulde haue thought by those matters wee spoke of but nowe that you had béen farre of from those wée are to intreate to day but I sée you haue brought mée thyther before I thought of it whereat I meruayle the more and I am gladder of it But before you beginne this discourse I woulde knowe whether your meaning bée to propose one fourme and manner of conuersation whiche all indifferently shoulde vse or at the least to assigne diuers sortes according to the diuersitie of persons Annib. As farre as I remember I tolde you yesterday and nowe I tell you againe that I meane to prescribe particularly to euery one For if in conuersation all of vs shoulde behaue our selues in one sorte towardes all wée shoulde soone come to the chiefe point of our purpose It is very true there are some generall thinges which euery one ought to obserue towardes euery one indifferently whereof also wée will vse some spéech but my desire is chiefly that wee come to consider the diuers meanes which wee ought to vse in vsing companie according to the diuersitie of persons Whereby wée shall knowe that it is not so easie to finde one manner of entertainement common to all men as it is to finde a fashion for a Sadle to fit any Horse And thereby wée shal perceiue that as a man of good iudgement such as your selfe writeth not in one selfe manner and wordes to his betters equals and inferiours so wée in our conuersation ought to procéed with the same iudgement to put difference betwene causes and parties which are not equall Guaz. If then ciuile conuersation ought to varie according to the varietie of the persons I doubt mee least the rules which you shall set downe wil be long and hard for that we are driuen by diuerse accidentes to haue to deale with diuerse persons differing in sexe in age in degrée in conditions in country and in nation Annib. You sée in organes diuerse pipes whereof euery one giueth a diuerse sowne
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
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
some infyrmitie of minde or body * Guaz. I cannot abide the foâ—ly of some fathers who make some one of their children their darling and minion without seing any towardnesse in him in the world being not ashamed to let euery man know their fond and causelesse doting Annib. The Ape whiche had two yong ones at a litter whereof shee loued the one and cared nothing for the other was vpon occasion driuen to flie from her denne and hauing taken that which she loued in her armes and tied the other at her back in running she stumbled agaynst somewhat which made her fall and agaynste the harde grounde to kill her young one whiche shee hadde in her armes and loued so well but the other whiche was at her backe hadde no harme at all whereby a man may see that the Father oft tymes doth pennance for his doting and fonde offence for that for the moste parte those children which are moste made of fall out the worste Yea it often falleth out that the children of the right side by reason of their wanton and delicate bringing vp proue doltes fooles and simple sots whereas contrariwise those which come in at the backe doore beeing banished from their fathers house and driuen to shifte for themselues doe often times by their owne industrye and trauayle auaunce themselues to suche estate that they are in better case then their father and their lawfull brothers to whom ofte tymes they afoorde ayde and succour in their distresses Guaz. Wee may boldlye say then that the iniustice of the father breedeth disagreement betweene his children him howsoeuer that vnequall loue doth which I proposed Annib. Yea hardly but for that wee made mention of a merchaunt the father of Doctorâ—s scholers thervpon there commeth in my head an other occasion which breedeth iars betweene the father and the child which is when the father is inferiour in calling to the sonne as for example if y e father be an ignorant man or a plaine fellow of the countrey the sonne be learned or a braue courtier you shal find great difficultie to make these two agree together for the father according to his nature and his calling giueth his minde to base and vile things either knoweth not or esteemeth not y e highe degree of his sonne And though he speake nothingâ— of it yet hee is ill pleased in his minde to see his sonne keepe his Grauitie conuenient for his estate and to be so sumptuous in his Diet and apparell and hadde rather he woulde conuerte his gayne into Landes Cattell or some other commodity There are other some who are not so foolish but they knowe the worthinesse of their Children and what belongeth to their estate yet for that they are inferyoure to them they are greeued in their harts at it so that they labour alwayes to withstande both in word deed their preferment On the other side you shal see the sonne eyther for that he seeth his father not to account of him as others doe or for that he seeth him leade a filthy life being neuer desirous to come out of the myre withdraweth his affection from him and woulde not by his will haue him come at anye time into his sighte for that hee thinketh he doeth dishonour him and if hee bee not so wicked to wishe his death yet at leaste hee is well apayde when he seeth him for some sicknesse or infirmitie layd vp in some bye corner of the house Guaz. To this purpose I hearde talke the other daye of a wretch so miserable that he would neuer agree y t his sonne being a Doctor should keepe a man to wayte vpon him so that hee was fayne when hee wente abrode to retayne a poore man that dwelt by to follow him in steede of a man and one morning staying for his man at the gate to wayte on him to Masse and being very late the father bethinking himselfe of his owne miserablenesse and seeing how hardlye his some was bestead put on his Cloake and sayde vnto him Goe your waye to masse and I will followe you thinking that his sonne was suche a foole to accepte his offer and to shewe himselfe abroade in such shamefull forte Annib. I thinke he offered to wayte vpon his sonne rather for that he would not giue his poore neighbour his dinner then for any shame he had of his owne misery or respect of his sonnes honesty Guaz. Now we are fallen vpon this Example I woulde gladly know of you in this difference of degree and calling which ought to go formost of the father or the sonne Annib. This doubt hath been alredy decided by Taurus the Philosopher who being visited by a Romane President and by the Father of the sayd President and being only one chaire set while they were bringing another he desired the Father to sit him downe who answered that his sonne ought to sit first for that he was President but for al y t he requested him still to sit downe and that he woulde afterwarde shewe which of the two ought to haue the vpper hand The Father being set and afterwardes the sonne he gaue this sentence That in publique places and affayres the father being a priuate person ought to giue place to the sonne who is appoynted in office as he who presenteth the maiestye of the Prince or common wealth but otherwise in priuate places and at the assembly and meeting of friends the publique authoritie must giue place to the fatherly iurisdiction Guaz. By vertue of this sentence the father to the Doctour of whom we spake should that morning going to masse haue made his sonne follow him in his long gowne for that as then he was not in any office but only a Doctor whiche would haue been a goodly sight and haue made euerye one laugh at it albeit it had been but reason Annib. If this were to be laughed at the example of Sempronius Gracchus Consull of Rome was to be marueyled at who to keepe his state in publique meeting on Horsebacke his Father Q. Fab. Maximus the Proconsull commaunded his Sergeauntes to goe againste him and cause him to alight which he did quickly liking the better of his sonne for that he knewe so well to maintaine the maiestie of the Romane Empyre But to returne to our matter there is one occasion yet remaining of the disagreement betweene the Father and the childe whiche is when the Father will neuer suffer his children to come foorth of their infancy Guaz. How vnderstande you that Annib. Mary when eyther thorow the authoritie of olde age or thorow ambition or couetousnesse or too good opinion in his own sufficiencie the father is so desirous of keping his paternall iurisdiction that though his children bee ariued to mans estate and be perfectly accomplished euery way yet he will alowe them neither more liuing nor more liberty then they had when they were children Guaz. I thinke they haue iust cause to bee mal contents who
knowing themselues to be sufficient meÌ„ and to be so taken of euery man are neuerthelesse vsed by their father like children and therefore I cannot blame them greatly if in stead of louing him they complaine of death for delaying the execution of that iudgement which so long before was pronounced agaynst him To which purpose I know a gentleman who hath liued this fourty yeeres vnder a most rich father who is so miserable that he maketh him dispaire and to say often to his companions that hee is a foole to liue so long and that it is now high time for him to goe to another world adding that his liuing will do him no good when it falleth into his handes for that by course of nature he shall be constrained to forgoe it againe Annib. A certayne countrey fellowe vsed to say that he gat by his labour euery day fiue loaues of bread and being asked how he distributed theÌ„ answered in this sort One I keepe for my selfe another I throw away another I pay home and the other two I lend foorth being requested to expounde his riddle he sayd I take one for my selfe I call away another in giuing it to my stepmother I restore home one to my father and two I lend to my childreÌ„ By this example more noble then rustike both children ought to learn to be louing and gratefull to their father and fathers to be liberall to their children remembring that in their age and necessity that which they haue lent vnto their children shall be restored by their children wherto the fathers we but now spake of haue had no regard and a man may well say that they are doating old that they are become children agayn and quite voyd of iudgement Guaz. If y t come by the fault of age I will not say that such men were wel worthy to dwell amongest the Caspians who when the father is arriued to the age of threescore and ten kill him presently and giue him to beastes to eat but I wyll say that they ought to acknowledge their insufficiency and want of iudgement and to referre the ordering of their house and liuing to their chyldren who are of discretion to deale in suche waighty matters If couetousnesse bee the cause of it they ought to consider that it is a shamefull thing in olde folke of all others for there is nothing more absurde or without reason then for a man to make greate prouision for his iourney when hee is almoste at hys iourneyes ende so that if they haue heaped vp their wealth for themselues why a little of it will serue their turnes but if they haue trauayled for their children it is meets they shoulde lette them haue it so soone as they are of dyscretion to knowe how to vse it If the 〈◊〉 growe of ambition the poore soules oughte to take a patterne by Princes rulers who seeing their children fit to gouerne the people gladly resigne vnto them their estates realmes and Empyres whereof wee haue manye examples If they presume too muche of themselues let them learne to knowe that chyldren now adayes are borne wyse And as menne lyue not so long in these dayes as they did in tymes past so they grow to perfection sooner now then they did heretofore Annib. It is harde for these olde folke to take â—ny profite by these good admonitions for that their vyces by length of tyme haue taken too deepe roote in them to bee pulled vp yet we will not cease to aduise the father if hee render the well doing and aduauncemente of his childe to allowe hym wyth discretion some libertye in matters of the house suffering him somtime to inuite to welcome and make his companions good cheeres to giue intertainment to strangers and as occasion shall serue to vse the goodes of the house to serue his turne but aboue all thinges he must both by example by admonition keepe from entring into his hart vnsatiable couetousnes which maketh men wicked and vniust or at least neuer suffereth theÌ„ to liue in â—est quiet especially y e father whiche is a gentleman who ought to haue in his minde that king who comming into his sonnes lodgeing and seing there many peeces of plate whiche hee before had giuen him sayd vnto him I see well thou hast no princely minde with thee seing of so many thinges which I gaue thee thou hast yet made thee neuer a freind so that the father ought to stirre vp his sonne to liberall and gentlemanly deedes mary yet so that now and then if he bee not otherwise affayred hee learne to play the good husbande and see to thinges about home whereby he shall be able to conserue and augment his estate and keepe himselfe from falling into decaye hereof will rise at the least three good effectes The first is the loue of the sonne who seing his father withdrawe hym selfe by little and little from the gouernment of the house to the intent to put him in his roome receiueth thereby wonderfull contentment thinketh himselfe in his minde much bound vnto him and not only honoureth him but wisheth him long to liue on earth The second is the commodity of the sonne who by this meanes after his fathers death shall haue no neede to seeke counsayle and ayd at his freindes and kynsfolkes handes nor to put himselfe to the discretion of his seruantes for the ordering of his house hauing by the goodnesse and foresight of his father all thinges long before in his owne hands so that the gouermnent of his house shal not to be straunge or troublesome vnto him as it is to many when they haue lost their father The third is the sweet rest and contentment which the father inioieth in his old yeeres both for y t he feeleth himselfe rid of all incombrance vexation and besides seeth his sonne by his example gouerne his house orderly For my part I count it the greatest felicity in the world for a man to haue about him a number of goodly children whiche are growne to perfection whom hee may well terme the lyght of his eyes * and the staffe of his age * and I marueile nothing that the most prudent dame Cornelia shewed to her neighbour that asked for her chaines iewels her learned and vertuous children and methinkes it must needes be a greater comfort to y e father to see a proofe of his childe and how discreetly he can dispose of his liuing and order his househould then to doe it himselfe now when the father shall be arriued to the Hauen of such happinesse and consolation methinkes he may ioyfully looke for the last houre of his life and dye most contentedly Guaz. It is no question far better to make place for their children of their owne accord then to stay till they must needes do it spite of their teeth Like as Ptolomei did who gaue y e Realme of Aegipt to his sonne saying that a Realme was nothing so honourable nor