of Socrates I fynde in an olde writer a moste vertuous example of Humilitie practised by the Kyng of Hungarie whyche on a time ryding in hys Chariot accompanyed wyth a troupe of hys Nobilitie preparing themselues to sundrye disportes and martiall feates of exercise glanced his eyes aside by chance and beheld a couple of auncient poore men that were trauelling on the way wherevppon he commaunded his Chariot presently to bée stayed and comming downe from thence marched alone to méete these two Pilgrimes whome he chéerefully saluted and humbly on his knées embraced and after muche familiar talke betwéene them had the King sente them forwarde on their iourney very richly rewarded himselfe returning to his chariot as ioyfull as if he had done some greate aduenture But this thing done by the King openly in the face of all the nobilitie and chief royaltie of the Court was amongst suche a multitude one cause of diuers effects the only occasioÌ„ of sundry offences in so muche as some maruelling at thys strange curtesie with admiratioÌ„ were verie much astonished Other murmuring grudged at the gifts so vaynely bestowed but chiefely the prouder sort of the nobilitie were gréeuously vexed with scornefull disdeyne at the facte amongst whome the Kings brother was one whiche presently vpoÌ„ their coÌ„ming home to the Court withdrewe him selfe closely into the Kinges chamber where finding him with oportunitie of tyme sayde these wordes Syr I let you vnderstande that the Lords and chiefe royaltie of the Court wonderfully mislyked the straunge enterteinment you gaue to the base beggers by the way imputing it rather to the plaine disgrace and prophaning of your royall Maiestie than to the vaine pretence of any better ende and thus much is spoken in secrete of me by nature your brother and by dueties your humble subiect The Kyng hearing these words gaue him hartie thankes for his labour dissembling his purpose vntill the euening when all the Lords were departed to their lodgings Then commauÌ„ded he the deadly trompe to be sounded at his brothers gate which by custome of that countrey was wont to gyue warning presently before the death of a Péere vpon iudgement not to be reuersed The sounde whereof strooke such a terrour vnto him and his whole familie that calling his friendes togither they lamentably mourning passed all the night looking for nothing but death And the morning was nowe come when with a sorowfull traine of mourners himself the kings brother clothed in sackcloth bare heade with his comely lockes negligently dispersed abroad gastly to behold with his eyes fixed vnto death came thus into the Court abyding in the hall humbly on his knées at the kings mercie wherof the king being aduertised came downe at length vnto his brother bearing him self ignorant of this tragical shewe wherof notwithstanding he him self had bin the chief author chearfully demaunded before them all what was the cause of so straunge an alteration in his brother which heauily tolde him the sounde of the trumpe had thus fearefully warned him to put him selfe at the féete of his maiesties fauour wherat the king smyling sayd And is this the cause of so great a terrour vnto thée the hither vnto vs thou art come so disguised can the feare of â—eath by the iudgemeÌ„t of man which is vnâ—ertaine so soone coÌ„fouÌ„d thy lofty corage But why didst thou then so skornefullye wonder at me which humbled my self yesterday when I beheld the liuely and expresse image of death whose force no man can escape in those auncient men whome for age I courteously salute was it not more fearfull to behold the figure of death than to heare the sound of a trumpe is it not lesse cause of wonder in me to obey the lawes of God and nature than in thée to feare the iudgement of man whiche is frayle Therefore I pardon and aduertise thée my brother that as thou haste bene ouer dreadfull of man heretofore so that thou reuerently feare God aboue all men hereafter With these and suche lyke wordes the good Kyng modestlye reprooued and friendlye chastised the proude surquedrye of hys owne brother to the better example of all the Nobilitie of his court A worthy mirrour of Humility in the Maiesty of a Prince an especial paterne of the rare clemencie and curtesie of a Kyng And thus we sée the state of Princes muche better by dignitie of vertues mainteyned than by the force of worldly pompe and riches strengthened and vphelde the fame of true nobilitie by gentlenesse curtesie fostered the wealth of subiectes by duetifull obedience increased and to conclude the towarde wittes and singular good capacities of younge Courteours by sufferaunce well furthered and through modest behauiour humilitie worthily to be aduaunced Of Company and fellovvship CHAP. 2. PYthagoras was wont to say that commonly in a multitude the number of the wicked is most the flocke of good men leaste How true the opinion of this Philosopher is by dayly experience it is too plainlye prooued For where there is one man in these dayes incouraged by the rewarde of vertue to search out the secretes of wisedom there be many times as many which no doubt allured by the smiling lookes of vanitie doe spend their whole time in the contemplation and practice of folly Hereof commeth slouth the onely nurse of néed pryde the chiefe authour of penury filthy lust the mother of all mischiefes And to be short what shame what sorrowe griefe sicknesse plague death and that is worse than death what seuile bondage doeth not this deceiptfull emulation and pestileÌ„t force of ill company procure But there is a more curious kinde of people sprong vp of late dayes amongest vs which are so farre from imitating of any man that they principally study to make them selues lyke vnto no man And bycause in the Court there be multitudes and many men must néedes be diuersly disposed it behoueth a young Courtiour at his entrance principally to be aduised in the choyce of his fellowship and company for surely it is the chiefe point first meanes to winne or loose creadite and estimation Let him remember the good Counsayle of the kyngly Prophete Dauid that saeith with the iust thou shalt bee made righteous but with the froward thou shalt learne frowardnesse There be some and I feare too many that knowe not what goodnesse meanes neyther will they come where honestie dwelleth vnthriftinesse is theyr hauntyng house vncleannesse theyr delight quarrellyng is their exercise disdayne their companion and swearyng their common talke So that a young Gentleman accompanyed wyth suche companyons shall soone with the spoyle of hys goodes be discharged of the waight of hys creadite for if hée haue ought they will wayt of purpose to make hym spende they will spare theyr owne to be liberall of hys vntyll all be gone then flyng about for a newe supplie by such another companyon which is a foule shift and a shamefull refuge By this meanes manye
them that honour vs to spoyle them that serue vs to persecute them that loue vs neyther to musel the mouth of the labouryng Oxe nor vniustly to withdrawe the rewardes of well deserued hier for these are the workes of infidelitie Therefore if nature haue somewhat heretofore nusled vs in the churlishe affections of selfe Loue which is the authour of pryde and consequently the cause of great mischiefe yet let vs hencefoorthe followe the perswasions of reason whyche teacheth vs to shunne the vaine enticementes of follie and to searche out the diuine secretes of wisedome and surelye the first point hereof in myne opinion is for a man to knowe hym selfe It is straunge that the nature of man shoulde be desirous of nouelties and not regarde his owne safetie or that his minde shoulde be able to discouer the qualitie of the heauens and yet graueled in the knowledge of himself but you will say it is an easie matter for a man to bée knowen from a beaste and that is by reason and vnderstanding Then what meant the Philosopher Diogenes that in the Market place stoode gazing amongst a multitude and being demanded whome he sought made answere that he loked if he mighte sée anye man they told him that there were manye but hée sayde agayne verily amongst so many I can not finde anye man for he accompted them no men which coulde not rule theyr affections whiche in the common sorte of people is not easie to be founde when of the learned themselues it is a rare thing to be followed And as it is sayd the greatest Clearkes are not alwayes the wysest men nor commonly the strongest moste valiant And as the highest trées are more subiect to the blustering force of the winds than the low shrubbes which are shrowded vnder the defence of the Mountaines so the noble mindes of Princes and worthy Péeres are sooner shadowed and ouercast with the clowdes of Vanitie than the quiet fansies of the meanest whose affections are gouerned by the stedfast rule of Vertue And for this cause it was worthily prouided by the Emperoures of olde tyme that the same daye they were crowned euen in their chiefe royaltie the artificers shoulde come personally and demaunde how and after what sorte it woulde please him to haue his Tombe fashioned and this was done solemnely to the intente he shoulde be mindfull of death and not surprised with too muche delighte of suddayne felicitie Therefore if Princes and Emperoures haue not bin ashamed to acknowledge themselues mortall and by this meanes to suppresse the swelling waues of vayne glory it behoueth all priuate men muche more vigilantly to watche and warde that they bée not at anye time puffed vp and infected wyth the strong poyson of selfe loue and most hatefull surquedrie Of Wine and Women CHAP. 6. HEliodorus in the thyrde Booke of hys Ethiopian Historie proueth that the cause of intemperancy and lust are both one for as well sayth he the mind of a drunken man is flexible as the affections of loue are inconstant bycause they are both drowned in moyst humors and therefore we sée that a common louer wil soone be drunke and a drunkerde soone moued with the desires of loue It were a doubtfull question to determine whether hathe greater force of Wyne or Women for surelie the strength of the one is inuincible and the lust of the other not to be satisfyed Thys conquereth Kings that wasteth whole countreys this desguiseth mē into beastes that transformeth mē into Monsters This diuorceth vs from the ioyes of Heauen and that other winds vs to paines of Hell. But least we should offende with Tiresias we will rather confesse with the Chamberlaine of Darius that in these poyntes women are soueraigne And as the vse of them both and many things else is very necessarie pleasant and profitable so it is only the abuse eyther of them or anye thing that is filthie tedious and incoueniente May not the trée be good although the blossoms are blasted is not the ayre wholsome bycause it is hurtful to the sickly or is gold naught bycause our nature is corrupted no it is pure but we are vnperfect these thyngs are wholesome but we are immoderate they are good but our affections are euill disposed Aristotle gaue counsell to King Alexander in his most troublesome affayres and warlike aduentures to behold the beautifull countenance of women and by pleasant spéeche with them had to lighten the weight of cares which continually increasing mighte discourage the mind of the most valiante from his noble enterprise wherein he had great reason for what can be more delectable vnto a man than to behold the image of himself sette forth in a more perfect and heauenly figure what more comfortable than to sée the cause of his life and consequently the chiefe authour of his felicitie what is more ioyfull than pleasure what more pleasant than beautie and what can bée more beautifull than women surely nothing And I suppose with the Poets that Nature hath curiously fashioned them in hir owne molde with suche excellencie of personage to spite the proude Goddesse that vauntes hir selfe in beautie to be soueraigne Neyther can I perceyue them in any vertues to be much inferiour vnto men but if I shoulde not speake partiall rather the authours than followers of wisedome To beginne with Chastitie it is not possible that so pure a mettall shuld be defiled with anye spottes of filthy lust for why they were made after the perfection of man of the soundest parte of hys body Moreouer their owne complexion is cold and therefore commonly they are more temperate and chst modest and patient milde and mercifull most constant and pitifull and for the corruption that ariseth of grosse meates and vnholesome sauoures why they haue by nature a cōtinuall euacuation of all superfluous humoures suche force hathe that whiche is pure to expell the same that is vncleane And what is he that doubtes of the continencie of women but let him remember onely the daughter of Virginius whyche chose rather to be slayne of hir owne father than to hazarde the Castell of hyr chastitie vnto the hote séege of Appius hir fleshly enimie if they be not constante what was Penelope if not patiēt what was Griseld if not pitifull what was Dido excepte you will make them Goddesses for Vertue whyche were in déede by kynde women but you wyll say they wante courage bycause they are gentle by nature a wise reason as though Sainctes themselues are not sometymes displeased or as if the water were not calmest in the déepe and the winde strongeir in the streyghts but dyd not Quéene Thomiris chalenge the combat of Alexander to fighte with him hande to hande whiche he refused was not Pentheseleia before hir in the middest of the battell at the ruinous séege of Troy what was Bellona hir selfe if women were not couragious yes no doubt they are strong and valiante whiche appeareth euen in that stout affection of them
their owne beautie to be diminished by tract of time thē begins the knowledge of their cunning to be expressed the full perfection of arte to bée practised they will not haue their smooth browes with vntimely wrincles to be defaced nor their comely chéekes of the roseal coulour so sone to be defrauded it wer vniust to suffer their beauty to decay for wāt of repratiōs which is the chief cause of their maintenance How should they be knowē for images vnles they be curiously painted how should they be taken for Sainctes if they were not gorgeously attired and how shoulde they be honoured for Goddesses if glistering in golde the maiestie of their person should not be fully furnished yea they kembe they curle they pinke they purle they streyne they fayne they wrinch they pinch and all to insinuate so fine a carcasse with alluring lookes into the practise of follie And dare you call them weake which in force haue vanquished the strongest and no maruell for what man hathe euer bin so strong but hathe bin vanquished by fonde desires of lust had Hercules bin burned had Giges bin slayne hadde Dionisius bin murthered had Anchus the sonnes of Arcinoë Cyrus and other innumerable Kings and Princes dyed of mischiefe but by the onely treason of women what shoulde I speake of warres sith Troy the chiefe Citie of all Asia was for a womans sake sackt wasted and lefte desolate I loth to recite Paricides though Scilla murthered hir father Nisus and caried his heare for a signe of loue to his enimie King Minos which scornefully refused the gift and abhominable giuer such are the frutes of lust and outragious desires of women And are they to bée thought simple which in wiles haue begiled the wisest and true it is for who hath euer bin deceyued where he hathe neuer faithfully trusted and whome shuld a mā trust if not his owne wife with whome he liues for whome he toyles in whom he ioyes and from whome he should receyue most loyal loue and most comfortable delight But alas in stead of comforte they giue care to their husbāds in stead of ioy they bring sorrow for meate mourning for drinke dolor for rest vnquietnesse for safety perils for peace discord and at last for his good desertes he is requited with the vile rewarde of mischiefe Was not Albinus the firste King of the Lombardes shamefully murthered by his faire spouse Rosamund was not Agamemnon serued after the same sorte wyth hys vnchast wife Clytemnestra howe spedde the wisest of them all Were not Salomō Dauid Caesar Antonius Tully Marcus Aurelius and others abused by the sleightes of their wiues and women And therefore who is nowe so fonde but wyll learne to bridle the affections of lust who is so blinde that sées not the false entycementes of follie and who so doltishe that will doate vppon suche kytes of Cresides kynde It is better with Phirimus the beautifull young Romaine to deface the Maiestie of comely fauour and beautie than with Narcissus to be cōfounded with his owne follie it is more commendable with Alexius to forsake the concupisence of the fleshe and folow the swéete contemplation of wisedome than with vnhappie Cephalus to séeke the tryall of faithlesse folke and fal into the snares of ineuitable mischiefe But in any wyse I would not haue the vertuous women modest virgines herewith offended For the reprehension of Vice increaseth the glorie and prayse of Vertue none otherwyse thā the beautie of the swéete Rose more brauelye shewes it selfe being set amongst Nettles and the Sunne appeareth more glorious in sight after the darke clowdes and droupyng shades of nyght is banished And to the rest I tel this tale to stop their own enuious conceit self hurting imagination There was a Lady of base birth borne in a barbarous countrey which by the fauour of blinde fortune was raised vnto the stage of honour wherein bluntly behauing hir self aswel towardes hir equals as inferiours shée was generally mislyked of all sortes in somuche as hir husbande also at length began to estrange himself vnto hir whose sad lokes she ouer hastily suspecting or whither it be that a continual feare vexeth the guiltie minde I cannot tell but she runnes hastily to méete a secret friende of hirs which was thē cōming out of the fields with his gown in his neck a lame Crow whose wings he had maimed in his hand and sodainely bemoned hir case vnto hym howe infortunate she was to be suspected without cause with an ample discourse of hir misfortunes The Gentlemā knowing hir disease to haue procéeded onelye from the ielousie of hir own cōceit had thought to haue giuen hir good counsaile in playne termes but he was disappoynted by the comming of hir husband which sodeinelye came vpon them vnwares and therfore he gaue hir this riddle for an answere before hir husbāds face Madam saith he you demaund what was the cause that I spoiled this carren Crowe which as you say was innocent true it is but yet sitting in the top of a trée safely shrowded frō sight shée could not be cōtent but discouered hir self by hir owne naturall voice which is vnpleasant for any man to heare And therfore hath bin subiect to this mischance as you sée whereof in my iudgement hir selfe hath bene the chiefe occasion And herewith smiling they went in all togither the Gentleman rounding in hir eare thus expounded his ridle So Madam I doubt sayeth hée that the too muche declinyng vnto your owne natural disposition hath bene the onely cause that the winges of your worthie Fame are now galled with the spitefull shotte of suspition And surely so it falles out many tymes wyth those which are not very cunning dissemblers that while they intende to coulour theyr craft by dissimulation they vnwarily discouer them selues by the force of their naturall affection for nature is aboue arte in the ignorant And Vertue aboue all things is estéemed of the wyse Of Dyce play CHAP. 7. AS there be dyuers sundry exercises of the bodye which are holesome bycause by thē both strength is worthily increased and health as warily mainteyned So there be many vnprofitable sportes vnlawfull games and leude practises which infecte the body with diseases pollute the minde with vices spoile the necessary goodes with vnthriftinesse and therefore ought of all men to be shunned and abolished For if we make our sporte and game to delyght why shoulde wée toyle so muche therein moste commonlye to our owne hynderaunce and disease but in losse is no delyght in payne is no pleasure neyther is there anye ioye in annoye and as the Poete sayeth Voluptatis commendat rarior vsus The rare practice and seldome vse commendeth pleasure moste Lette vs take for example amongest so manye other vnprofitable disportes the only immoderate vse of Dyce playe wherein if the pleasure be little the profite is lesse if the chaunce bée doubtfull the choyce is harde and thoughe the commodities