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
peraduenture maye rule suche rage and counsayle ouercome suche youthfull fansies But from thence escaping the daunger of Scilla hée is nowe throwne headlong vppon the dreadfull rockes of Charibdis he is growne from youth to manhoode naye rather he is come from ioye to greife from pleasure to paine and from myrth to mischiefe before the wanton desires of youthe molested him but nowe the wilfull déedes of manhoode doe dayly assaulte him before the pleasure of luste enticed him to follye but nowe the rage of wrathe can prouoke him to mischiefe Lastly he was then rauished with the ioyes of heauen but nowe he is haunted with furies of Hell. For in in this age he is chiefely subiect to pride vexed with wrath and puft or rather poysoned with ambitiō Againe when the naturall heate of lustie youthfull blonde by diminiyshing séemes to moderate suche outragious furies to qualitie suche affections and to asswage all suche wylfull desyres Euen then commes the Image of deathe I meane olde age so crooked so lame so deformed so lothsome fraught with such care and ouerladē with such infirmities that a man would wishe rather nowe to dye liuing than to lyue longer in such a plight pyning for besides all these plagues and tedious annoyes it is most commonly accompanyed with suche a diuelishe companion that fainteth hys weake bodie for want of sustenaunce disquieteth his testie minde for lacke of reste and in the end like and euil guide that leads a blinde man into the ditche it closeth vp his eyes in endlesse sorrowes and most miserable calamities And this is the same couetousnesse which hath bin euer accounted the roote of all mischiefes So that wée sée by the whole course of humain life that a manne is the chiefest enemye vnto himselfe And oftentimes it commeth to passe that where a man soweth pleasure he reapeth paine where he pretendeth loue he findeth hate and wherein he séemes to offende others least he priuilye hurteth himself most And this is manifestly proued by the example of Self loue and surquedry A swéete vice and deceiteful affection is that fansie which the Philosophers haue called Philautia and so naturall a disease in déed that neyther Prince nor Péere highe nor lowe rich nor poore wise nor foolish weak nor strong faire nor deformed no not the learned Philosophers themselues were all able to withstand And me thinkes I heare Nature thus reasoning with my selfe Is it possible for a man to liue that loues not himselfe best but that is contrarie to my lawes which haue giuen to euerye one an especial charge and prouident care to nourish himselfe and that thou mayst easilye perceyue this to be true beholde I gaue thée eares to heare eyes to sée tongue to speake reason to vnderstande féete to goe handes to féede and defend thy self and generally care to maintayne the good estate of life These things are graūted by kind and canst thou vndkindlye séeke to abuse them more to the profit of others than to thine own benefit no not if thou wouldest for I can compell thée to the contrarie but thou takest more delight in the beautie of another I graunt so thy neyghbours field is more fruitful and his cattell beare more bountifull vdders and what fares she the worse for that whiche féedes ofte vpon the same and thinkes hir owne birdes fayrest So can I sée them wéepe when I laughe mourne when I reioice sicke when I am whole poore when I am riche naked when I am clothed imprisoned when I am frée and harbourlesse when I am housed and wherein can this be hurteful vnto me whiche féele not an other mans griefe knowe not his wante nor beare not his passion but what if I did shoulde I supporte hys néede and waste mine owne wealth that were folly shoulde I sette hym frée to lose mine owne libertie that were more vaine and generally shoulde I succoure him relieue and cure his disease to hinder me to grieue me and increase mine own maladies that were euen little better than madnesse No I am nearest vnto my selfe and therefore no man can iustly blame me to prefer mine owne safetie before the commodities of an other and I may perhaps commend him wel and like hir bette but I will euer loue my selfe beste To these obiections of nature or rather false perswasions of Diuellishe disposition reason doeth modestlye replye by the aucthoritye of trueth in this manner Howe long wilte thou abuse the patience of diuine power Oh thou frowarde and peruerse humaine Nature how long shall thy proude lookes prouoke the dreadefull wrath of the heauens canst thou safely chalenge the name title of a goddesse and yet still practise to rebell againste the Lawes and ordinaunces of the Goddes or wilte thou looke to be called the mother of mankinde and wilt not submit thy selfe to the rules of reason doth not the dreadfull iudgement of the one feare thée from sinne nor the friendly perswasions of the other moue to imbrace vertue But consider what thou art of thy selfe yet at the length I beséeche thée haste thou anye strength substaunce beautie reason or vnderstandyng whyche is not giuen thée from aboue A naked life in déede we receiue at thy handes and what auayleth that vnto vs without good conditions nay were it not better to be vnfed than vntaught and neuer borne than broughte vp to destruction Thou vauntest of life but canst thou make vs frée from deathe thou talkest of beautie but cāst thou teach vs to auoyde the smart of luste thou braggest of strength but canst thou warrant vs to w stand sicknesse no nor any meanes thou canst sée to make vs thy childrē happie For as he is not called fortunat which is poore and deformed so they are not accompted happye which are onely rich and beautifull But thou wilt saye perhappes that Nature is desirous of knowledge whiche is the grounde worke and foundation of Wisdome And it is true that a man is naturally inclined to the practise of skill and experience of cunning For in his youth hée voluntarilye learneth to speake then he practiseth to dispute and perswade hée learneth to delighte with soundes hée is taught to number anye summes hée measureth the grounde by proportions and ruleth the stars with vnderstanding And what profiteth a man to compasse al the worlde by witte and destroy himselfe for want of wisdome for as life without learning is vnpleasant so learning without Wisdome is vnprofitable To what ende serued the déepe knowledge of Aristotle whiche vertuously instructed others and yet desperately shortned hys owne life what aualyed the profounde skil of Archimedes whiche loste his Citie besiedged by Marcellus and was himselfe then drawing out of circles by a messenger sodainely put to death And what gained Plato by his learning whiche was shamfully reproued of ambition likewise of the rest Narcissus was faire and beautifull but his vnhappye fauour was the cause of his destruction and lastly Hercules and Sampson were strong but not
able to withstande the force of shamefull death And thus you sée to vaine vitious nature the proude blossomes of your vntimelye fruit soone withered the strength of youre aucthoritie soone decayed and the beautie of your countenaunce soonest of all to be fledde forlorne and defaced And surelye if a man woulde but consider eyther the imperfections of nature the innumerable sorrowes of thys lyfe or the inuincible force of death no doubt hée shoulde be as earnestlye persuaded to folowe the rule of ryght and séeke out the secretes of wysedome as hée was first allured to swéete sinne and violentlye drawen into the schoole of follye But alas those which are in hell knowe not the ioyes of heauen and what hope of victorie is left to them that are alreadie conquered O strong selfe Loue and pestilent force of pryde what homicyde parricyde or what murthers haste thou not committed What flamyng fyres what warres yea what mischiefe haste thou not attempted Thou hast killed Princes poysoned Kynges and murthered most famous Emperours By thée strong Castles are rased townes spoyled Cities wasted and by thée countreys are lefte desolate And whither can the force of thy ragyng furie bée nowe further extended Thou haste vanquisshed men and wylt thou nowe exercyse thy tyrannye vpon brute beastes And woulde to GOD we myght all bée so well excused Thou haste wonne the whole worlde but doest thou meane to laye siege to the heauens or giue battyle vnto the Gods But remember thy Champion Lucifer what rewarde had hée for hys proude attempte Call to mynde the presumptuous buildynges of Nembroth and what successe had hée in hys enterpryse And forget not the proude Knyght Companius whiche being valiaunt and fortunate in warres had suche confidence in hys courage and suche faythfull truste in hys owne strength that hée scorned at those whiche after victorie obteyned dyd vse anye ceremonyes in worshipping of their Goddes callyng it a cowardlye affection that fearefullye craued helpe and supporte of shadowes but hée was sodainly consumed with fyre from heauen beyng in the forefronte of the battayle at the siege of Thebes These thynges considered maye soone coole the hote courage of pryde and moste horryble conceiptes of Surquedrye But the close affection of selfe Loue is more couertlye crepte into the opinions of men whiche thinke them selues by nature bounde and not forbydden by diuyne lawes to make muche of them selues And God forbyd but that eche man shoulde haue a prouident care to profite hime selfe But yet are wée taught by the commaundements of GOD to loue another equallye as our selues wée are instructed by the recorde of holye scriptures that all our actions ought to be done to the glorie of GOD And wée maye learne by prophane wryters that wée are not borne vnto our selues but that partlye our parentes partlye friendes partlye chyldren partlye kynsefolke and chiefelye our natyue countreye doeth chalenge a pryncypall duetie wherin the charitable loue and affection of vs all is ioyntly comprehended And this is more plainly perceyued by the comfortable vertue of societe without the which the life of man were naked tedious and vnpleasaunt For what auayleth it vnto a man to be the monarche of the whole worlde if he haue not subiects to gouerne if hée haue not a wyfe to increase his ofspryng if he haue not chyldren to honour and defende hym and lastly if he haue not friendes to reioyce with hym in prosperitie and to comfort hym in aduersitie Yea if hée be not happie straight wayes that hath all these things howe vnhappie is he then that wanteth so many goodly commodities And by this meanes a proude man is to bée thought most infortunate For when he begins to take an opinion of him selfe euen then is he first mislyked of others Where hée fawnes he is feared where he loues hée is suspected where he fauours most he is lest regarded Agayne when he frownes he is forsaken when hée laughes he is enuyed and when hée mournes hée is left desolate But hée is warye and wyse hée wyll trust none neyther shall he be trusted of anye hée is proude bycause hée is ryche but hée is poore in that hée is proude hée is strong in power but he is weake in wysedome hée is comelye in proportion but hée is deformed in condition Waye these thynges togyther in the true ballaunce of reason and you shall perceyue the wayght of sinne and heauie burthen of mischiefe able to sinke the strongest the comeliest and the proudest man alyue into the deadlye pytte of destruction Dionisius was wyse and yet hée beguyled hym selfe for hée was shamefullye murthered by the consent of hys wyfe Brennus was valiaunt yet coulde not withstande the wrath of the Gods. And Tarquinius was proude but pryde was the cause of this foule destruction And these be the fruites of selfe Loue Surquedrie But cease O cruell Kyng cease nowe at length thys thy ragyng tyrannye forbeare to vexe the myndes of innocentes with pryde and drowne no more vnhappie soules in the seas of selfe Loue and Surquedrie And yet why doe I thus gentlye entreate with a Tyrant why doe I pleade for peace with the chief authour of discorde And whye doe I call hym Kyng which is the father of mischiefe and mortall enemye to mankynde euer since the begynnyng of the worlde Euen hym I meane whyche brought the fyrst care and calamityes vnto Adam by the taste of an Apple For it is none but hée whiche couertly séekes by false prouocations to bryng vs vnto mischiefe It is hée that settes the spitefull plantes of pryde and hée that sowes the moste hatefull séede of dissention But hée nameth hym selfe the Prince of the Worlde howe shall wée than séeke to confounde hym Naye but hée is the Father of lyes and therefore we wyll not belieue hym hée is but a shadowe and why shoulde wée then feare him he triumpheth ouer worldlings lyke a Lyon but resist him stoutlye and hée vanisheth into nothyng Wylt thou learne to withstande the temptations of Sathan Then you must faithfully cleaue to the promyse of God whiche will not suffer the righteous to be cōfounded But thou canst not be righteous of thy selfe nor faythfull without humilitie nor humble without charitie For these vertues are vnyted and can not bée separated So that hée whiche woulde haue the fauour of the diuine Maiestie must néedes indeuour hym selfe to resist the strength and power of our vniversal enemye Neyther is it too late at any tyme to resorte vnto goodnesse nor too tymelye to preuent mischiefes Wée must vse no procrastinations and delayes to be vertuous For hee that is not readye to thinke well to daye will be more vnlikely to doe good on the morrowe And it is not enough to thinke ill of none but wée must in that we may doe good vnto all yea euen vnto our enemyes for thus are wée taught to doe good for euyl which are the fruites of perfect charitie Much lesse then ought we to disdayne