so worthy an audience to the end the mindes of the assistantes might be more intentiue to discourse of some other question more doubtful then this we are to intreate of it rather becomming thy estate and condition euen at the beginning to keepe silence and yet it may be that this discourse liketh thee better that thereby thou maiest set forth the ancient and honourable stocke of thy predecessors and their great large riches and reuenues Howsoeuer it be that thou maiest not take me to be out of the matter I will returne to our disputation Worthy Gentlemen the doubt vvhich this day is hapned amongst vs is not vnknowne vnto you if so it be that vve ought to call it a doubt for surely a more easie controuersie did neuer rise amongst men VVee shall soone see if Fabricio be more noble then I am or vvhether I am more honourable then hee is He might vvith more reason make a question vvhether the day be more cleerer than the night or the sunne more hote then the Moone and perhaps there might be greater cause to doubt thereat the basenesse of his birth and the vvorthinesse of my bloud being more then sufficiently knovvne vnto you But seeing it is your pleasure that vve shall discourse thereof I will vvillingly yeeld being more constrained thereunto to satisfie your desire then forced by reason not distrusting anie vvhit of obtaining the victorie It lying then vpon me louing Gent. to prooue vnto you that I am a noble man yea farre more noble then Fabricio I will first shew you vvhat nobilitie is which if vve do rightly vnderstand as we ought I doubt not but that our controuersie vvill be finally determined without anie further debating of the matter I affirme that to be true nobilitie for Fabricio thou canst not varie from the opinion of all men vvhich of long time hath beene left by the predecessours vnto the successors as a hereditarie gift the name whereof is as wel imprinted in them as the forme of the body in asmuch as hee that is borne of a noble family so soone as he is broght forth into the world is esteemed amongst the number of noble men which is no lesse apparant then true for asmuch as if we consider any noble man whatsoeuer surely those that descend from him shall be reckoned amongst such as are noble men Who is he so void of reason that doth not account those as noble men who are discended of the stocke of the Sforsi of these of Ests of the Gonsagui and of a number of other most noble races Surely no manne He then is a Noble man who is issued of a noble familie Let vs then consider whether I or thou are sprung of noble parentes to the end that the most noble of vs both may bee knowne Tell me I pray thee and take no scorne to let me know whether thy ancestors were Noblemen or not nay whether they were so much as reckoned amongst gent. which surely I beleeue thou art not able to shew me If then no Nobilitie was lefte thee by thy auncesters how doest thou now take that boldnesse vpon thee to giue thy selfe the tytle of a nobleman By what meanes doost thou seeke to intrude thy selfe into the company of Gentlemen What hope hast thou to bee adiudged the more noble Surely I know not how I should perswade my selfe therein but contrarily you cannot make any doubt but that this nobilitie was left me by my predecessors for both my grandfathers and their great grandfathers and their issue haue still as it were from hande to hand maintained themselues in the order of noblemen forsomuch as they haue alwaies shewed themselues worthie men at Armes and many of them haue beene lords of Castles and of Townes albeit that enuious fortune hath bereft them of the greater part of this substance I will not further inlarge my discourse to recken vp what my predecessors haue beene being certaine that they are no lesse knowne vnto you then to my selfe Wherefore it may well be concluded that I beeing the successour of right Noble men and thou borne of base parentage that I am a Noble man and thou art not and so consequently the ring which this day was giuen by the Lady Virginia belongeth vnto mee as to the most noble of the two Now see Fabricio howe by little and little I haue made it manifest that thou art deceiued Yet if so it were that thou shouldst denie my conclusion which is most true in it selfe I woulde so forciblie work that thou shouldst of necessitie be constrained to yeeld therunto For if they who doe expose their liues to a thousand dangers as it were men banished from their own houses the space of many yeares in the seruice of their king their coūtrey or other princes to purchase to themselues a glorious name euerlastinglie did consider that so soon as they should depart this life their renowm and their glorie should die with them and not remaine to their children and posterity he might surely be accounted foolish that woulde take paines or indure any trauel or disquiet but they waighing that this name which they did get amongst bloudy battails did not onlie adorne their own persons which should indeed be but a smal thing but likewise all their whole stocke after them they did not against their wil but of their own accord enter into such toile labour Whereby it followeth of necessitie that we conclude that the selfe-same renowme and the selfe-same Nobilitie that was in their ancestors whatsoeuer it be is trāsferred to their posteritie Bicause that naturally we haue no better instrumēt nor more perfect means by which the glorie and Nobilitie which is in men may indure longe then their children posteritie by them nobilitie is preserued by them the generositie of families is liuelie maintained Hitherto the words of Possidonio were continued with a wonderful attention and without anie interruption when Fabricio turning himselfe tovvards him spake after this manner Passe on no further Possidonio for I intend to answer thee to that thou hast thus far discoursed thou shalt vnderstand whether this nobilitie vvhich we seeke for doth remaine in bloud or not then thou mayst at leisure proceed for as thou shalt frame thine argumentes so will I likewise answere thee At which offer Possidonio paused but the company vvould not suffer that Fabricio should intermeddle to answer Possidonio his discourse vntill hee had ended that which he should bee able to alledge in his defence Wherefore silence being made Possidonio proceeded after this maner You see moreouer worthy Gent. what operation nature affoordeth to the innobling of man For if wee consider the gifts which it lendeth in the generation of man you shall finde them wholie assembled in our fauour Forsomuch as first it yeeldeth to this that the ingendring of children is permitted to man by meanes of his ovvn bloud and after that it hath brought them forth into the vvorld it laboureth
then in arguing to alleadge such reasons as shall bee in fauour of the victorie on Possidonio his behalfe and contrarie to my opinion forsomuch as with little labour I shall refute them So much the more willinglie quoth maister Peter Anthonie both my selfe and others will heereafter speake that which shall seeme best vnto vs especially before the troth be by this your disputation discouered There was then in times past in the famous Citie of Rome this lawe amongst others helde in great reuerence least that the memorable renowme of a valiant knight should with his life take ende that the Images of those who had ouercome the enemies hoast and conquered Kingdomes not before brought into subiection shoulde bee ingrauen and set in the most publike place of the Citie vnder which a remembrance of their actes was written which yet at this day we see in many places And that was done to the end as I may say to preuent nature in y t it could not giue which was to make them immortall by perpetuall commendation as also to the ende that their successours pricked forward with the desire of like glory and renowme like as valorous horses at the sound of the trumpet might not fear the labours of the bodie much lesse the dangers of life to auoid and to repell from their countrey all aduerse accidents hurtfull to the same and to purchase for it all triumphant and prosperous dignity that might bee for the auaile thereof In troth the Images and triumphes inflamed mens boldnesse and gaue them great courage and these eternall remembrances did mooue the hearts of men who are naturally desirous of honour and glorie For it was a thing ordayned among the Romaines at a certaine prefixed time in festiuall manner to visite these bodies and behold these Images What more greater glorie greater triumph may be desired in this world of any liuing man Surely the hart cannot wish nor the toung demand any greater Appliable to this purpose I say that if these men in remembrance of their singular vertue and great courage did attribute such great honour to images vvhether they were marble or mettall how much more did these owe to the liuing children I beleeue no lesse but rather more in asmuch as a fained forme of man is lesse to be esteemed then that which representeth him truely Which may bee apparantlie discerned by any whosoeuer though but of small iudgement For what occasion did the common wealth of Rome set in gouernment the Camilli Fabii Scipiones Emilij Catones and others but for the glory and renowme of their predecessors See we not the same obserued this day among moderne princes It followeth then reasonably that this grace and nobility which is in the predecessors doth deseruedly remaine with the children Scarce had maister Peter Anthony ended his discourse when Possidonio pursued his speach after this maner It should be surely a foolish thing to beleeue that it remained with these immoueable and fained images and not with their children For what profit are they able to bring vnto the commonwealth surely none besides the example which by them is left to posteritie but the offspring of noble men may yeeld lend great helpe vnto it dayly as wee see continually For as much as if wee looke into the estates and common-wealthes of the worlde which are gouerned diuersly shalt thou find Fabricio that the rule and managing of them is graunted to anie other sauing to those that are reckoned to be noble And if you demaund of whence this proceedeth I would answere thee in my opinion it ariseth of no other cause then that the predecessors of him that is noble hauing submitted not onely his goodes but life also to a thousand dangers and hazardes for his countrey it should be great vngratitude nay rather might we iudge it crueltie if that so soone as they receiued their last mortall wound they shoulde slip out of remembrance or that it should denie them the reward worthie their labours Whereupon that they may not incurre so great note of inhumanitie the gouernment of commonwealthes ought to be giuen them as good meanes to preserue them And as they which doe represent the dead members of their predecessors Maister Dominico added hereunto we doe not onlie see this vsed in our time as in the rich and well ordered citie of Venice and elswhere we may perceiue that the gouernment and administration of the estate is giuen vnto gentlemen but as I haue often read the like was done in time past In the citie of Rome at that time more renowmed then any other the Senators were held in great estimation of Nobilitie And if they were accompted in the order of Senators and consequently of true noble men which were descended of Senators We wil then say according to the former reasons that the Children and issue of noblemen are true and perfect noble men These last wordes were scarce ended when as the ladie Camilla whose naturall whitenesse tempered with a vermillion colour hiding her selfe as if shee had somewhat been ashamed her face burning like fire turning toward maister Dominico in whom she put great trust with a womans voice sayde thus It seemeth vnto me that this day you are all opposed to Fabricio seeing that you cease not together with maister Peter Anthonie to alleadge new reasons for Possidonio but beside that hee himselfe in answering them can refute them al I will not forbeare to pay you in such sort as you know Madame quoth hee hereafter I will take heed seeing that you are not pleased that wee shoulde entermeddle in this discourse to the end that this day I doe not against my will incurre a penaltie which I am not able to beare These last words gaue occasion to the companie of laughter whereupon Fabricio without any farther stay sayd Madame let euerie one of them alleadge the most pregnant and strong reasons they can for I shall not want courage sufficient to confute them all doe not you know that the glorie of the conquerour is so much y e greater as the force of the vanquisher doth exceed which was the cause that Possidonio laughing more at Fabricio his speech as making smal accompt thereof then at the young Ladie followed on after this sort We doe not onelie finde this to be true in the gouernment of Cities and Prouinces but likewise in Bishoprickes Cardinalshippes and such other Thou shalt not see Fabricio and if it happen it is verie seldome that these offices and dignities are bestowed vpon anie other then gentlemen By which thou mayest well consider what helpe and profite those do bring vnto vs which are borne of Noblemen more then the fained images of the Romaines held by them in great obseruance for an euerlasting remembrance Consider beside those reasons alreadie recited that with Princes Kinges Emperours Popes and in anie place of estate the noble man by bloud goeth formost and hee which is noblie borne is onelie honoured and to
of late and of many more worthy Roman Consuls of whoÌ„ the auncient histories are repleat Enuy which did proceed from the nobles did bring Pompey after his Empires and triumphes to remaine in his house or in his Grange he seldome daring to shevv himselfe publikely abroad Q. Metellus shewed the hatred which he did beare vnto Q. Pompeius when as he savv that after he had brought both of the countries of Spain into subiection Pompey succeeded him which was most odious vnto him For he licensed the greater part of the souldiors to depart caused the victuals to be spoiled the weapons of the armie to be broken did forbid that any man should giue the Elephants meate and to conclude left not any thing wherwith Pompey might defend himselfe against the enemies So great was the enuy vvhich possessed the mind of Cato of Vtica because that Cesar had in Egypt defeated the partakers of Pompey who were fled into Afrike after his death that he slue himselfe in Vtica Enuy likewise moued Themistocles that valiant captaine to persecute that worthy and iust Aristides both of them being noble men of Athens But why do I so inlarge my discourse to recount to you so many ancient histories Turne your eies if you so please vpon euery town and euery place of the vvorld inhabited by noble men and those of the common sort and you shall finde no place exempt where there is not rooted amongst noble men one with another amongst the nobilitie the comminaltie hatred persecution enuy ambition ignorance and pride These are the fruites which nobilitie of bloud doe giue to the mind which likewise doth not bring any other grace to the body because it neiâ—her maketh them more fair nor more liuely nor more strong nor more witty nor more aduised nor more apt then other men who are borne of base bloud forsomuch as therein nature worketh equally and not the nobility of bloud Certainlie quoth Maister Iohn Francisco it seemeth that it bringeth foorth in all places not onely vnsauorie fruit but most venemous and noisome A bad root answered M. Dominico cannot produce good fruit now nobility of bloud being brought into the world of a malicious root what goodnesse can it yeeld Surely none at all M. Io. FraÌ„cisco said what is that root so dangerous and venemous whence nobility of bloud proceedeth I would tell you quoth he but that I should displese Nennio in interrupting him It shal not displease me answered Nennio to hear you so that you doe promise mee to tell vs from whence the roote of this Nobilitie of bloud doth proceed vpon which condition it shall please me well to haue your opinion so that you may boldly go forwardes that being said M. Dominico turning himselfe towards M. Iohn Francisco began to speake in this maner It is an euident matter that the great Architect of the world created man pure simple not spotted with vice and perfectly good but it is not to bee beleeued that he made him either noble or ignoble Man then himselfe was the inuenter and beginner of this Nobilitie Hee being cause thereof Nobilitie beganne in the first age to be noted in those and they were esteemed Noble who either by force or fraude did surmount others Cain the first man who was borne in the world did ouercome his brother Abel and slew him and he was the first who by deceit and crueltie did vsurpe the name of Nobilitie in that thorough furious audacitie hee brought other men into subiection whereupon hee was equally honoured and reuerenced by them and reputed honourable more then any other After him did succeede Enoch Irad and others who descending from Cain that proud murtherer and vsurper of other mens goods so consequently noble they were likewise esteemed noble But Seth the third brother of Cain a iust and good man and y e first in the world who called on the name of God he was not so much esteemed and reputed amongst men but was adiudged of a soft nature abiect and vile with all his posteritie and by this meanes nobilitie tooke beginning By succession of time it pleased the great gouernor of heauen and of earth for the wickednesse which were generally committed on the earth corrupted by man who made no accompt of God to destroy the world by the opening of waters of fountaines of the depth yea of the water gates of heauen which hee would not first close vp or stoppe before that euerie liuing soule was destroied except Noe who was so highly in his fauor with the familie of those that did descend of Seth the ignoble Of this Noe afterwardes amongst others did Cham descend who shewed himselfe vnreuerent and wicked towardes his father Nemrod did succeed of his Line a man verie mightie and puissant and full of wickednesse He gaue the first beginning to the accursed vice of Tyrannous dominion and by Tyrannie he ruled the kingdome of Babylon of Arad others Wherupon thorow his might and tyrannie being become king hee was adiudged most noble Nowe great men grewe to such temeritie that they constrained those who at that time were rude and grosse not onely to repute them as noble but to adore them as Gods Hereupon their heires and successors were in a maner esteemed as Demy-Gods And so the opinions of the first men who to make a nobleman did ground themselues vpon murther and crueltie and in tyrannising ouer the people did as it were from hand to hand in such sorte extend their dominion that we may truely conclude that Nobilitie of bloud proceedeth euen from the first age of the worlde from this generall roote The generations of men being increased in the world and kingdomes possessed it was the pleasure of kings and princes that they who did most of al content them and fitted their humours best should be seperated from the common people in giuing them especiall priuiledges graces and preheminences which were not graunted to the vulgar sorte Wherefore they and their successors were held by the first people of the worlde as men well pleasing God and because they were seuered from the multitude and reuerenced more then others they were called Notable which is as much as Noble And for this cause the men of y e world being extreamely desirous of honor and of glorie and seeing that such was the meanes to become noble manie to the ende they might obteine this glorie of nobilitie did seeke to become pleasing vnto kinges and Princes Some in shewing themselues cruell murtherers of their enemies others in boldly ransacking the people others to gratifie their prince did giue them either their wife or their daughter in pray some to delight him did feede him with dishonest pleasures others with flatterie with treason with money with other horrible wickednesse and wretched deuises to winne his fauour by the which they did afterwardes obtaine priuiledges of Nobilitie for themselues and their posteritie This is the birth M. Iohn Francisco this is the beginning
that I had a little called my wittes togither I pondered often in my vnsetled imagination what those thinges might signifie I lately dreamed on Considering then vvith my selfe the trueth of her wordes and how much man is rather bound to follow vertuous actions then vaine pleasures which I had addicted my selfe vnto I vndoubtedly determined to followe her faithfull counsell and vtterly to abandon that kinde of life which by the ill disposition of time I was forced to leade Wherein notwithstanding fortune seemed not greatly to fauour me for much time ouerpassed not before that the warre being in some sort appeased all our companie togither with the ladies and others some being tied togither by kindred and allyance others by knot of friendship as well to auoide the scorching heate as the frequentation of much companie in so contagious a season transported themselues to a Grange of ours seuen miles distant from the towne There by reason of the conueniencie of a faire house and of a most pleasaunt and wonderfull delightfull garden we still remained spending the time continually in such sports and pastimes as the season of the yeare the place and the companie did require It happened on a day that as Fabricio and Possidonio two young gent. of our companie walked abroad they espied a noble ladie comming towardes them whose name was Virginia accompanied with an honourable traine who was going right towardes the citie whom when they were come neare vnto they entertained with such reuerence as was due vnto her and besought her to make stay in that place to dine with vs Shee seeing her selfe constrained by their earnest entreaties remained there with them and was courteously receiued of this pleasant companie After shee had refreshed her selfe togither with other ladies she took view of the house garden that which was most worthy to behold the Gentlewomen vvho alvvaies accompanied hir foot by foot vnto the place vvhere the tables vvere couered for dinner euery one of vs being serued in very decent good order hauing store of good delicate meats most excellent wine vve passed out dinner very merily not vvithout many pretie quips In the end it pleased this noble Lady not vvithout great sorrow of the vvhole company to depart from vs hauing with most gentle speech taken her leaue of the gentlemen and gentlevvomen she in like sort vvent her vvay after shee had thanked them all vvhich notvvithstanding the tvvo yong gentlemen vvho first inuited her did still accompanie hir but after they had gone some prety distance frō vs she vvould not suffer them to passe any further but staying herselfe and turning tovvardes them shee spake vnto them after this maner The gratious intertainment the noble exercise and pleasant abode of this frolicke companie haue this day bound my heart vnto them in such sort that I shall neuer lose the remembrance therof Whervvithall taking a rich gold ring curiously vvrought forth of her bosome she said And to the end that you may be as mindfull of me as is lawfully permitted I doe bestovv this ring vpon him that is the most noble of you tvvo vvhom I incharge to vveare it in remembrance of me The conclusion of hir speech and her departure vvere at one instant leauing the ring in his hands who vvhen she gaue it did not so vvillingly accept thereof Howbeit Possidonio as one descending of an ancient noble family being besides indued vvith great riches claimed the gift but Fabricio vvho reckoned himselfe nothing inferiour to the other in nobilitie albeit that his ancestors were not of so noble bloud nor himselfe blessed with so great wealth hee pretended vvith great vehemencie that the ring belonged vnto him because that from his youth hee had been vertuously raised to that substance he possessed and thereby become wise prudent and well conditioned So soone as they were returned to their companie they straightwaies declared the cause of their variance shewing them the ring which was framed in circle wise on the one side whereof there was the picture of a yong ladie apparelled like a nymph vvho held in her hand a royal Crowne in such sort as if she would haue set the same vpon some bodies head round about the which was vvritten in Latine Dignus coronabitur ipsa Let the most vvorthy be crowned herewith On the other side was the pourtraiture of a gallant young man crovvned thervvith who held in his hand a green bough not much vnlike vnto an Oliue branch about the vvhich vvas ingraued Victor merito coronatus I am crowned herewith as the conquerour and that by desart But by reason the controuersie betweene these tvvo young Gentlemen did grow more and more vvho by occasion thereof arriued there vnawares they were all of one opinion to the ende that vvhereas this pleasant companie vvere mette togither onelie for their recreation that enmitie and hatred might not grovv thorough this sodaine accident to boult out the troth of this their doubt they shoulde one after another set dovvne their reasons and afterwardes stand to the iudgement of a third person A Gentleman called Nennio one of the companie vvas indifferently chosen by them for that purpose vvho after he had heard the reasons debated on both sides shoulde by his wisedome giue iudgement and sentence from vvhich they promised they would not appeale but friendly rest satisfied therewith Albeit that the burthen thereof seemed heauie to Nennio yet did he willingly sustaine it considering that peace on all sides would follow thereby And because that on either part the discourse was intertained with no lesse profite then pleasure with pretie subtill argumentes and wittie conclusions I determined asvvell to auoide the heate of the season as to keepe me from idlenesse with my pen such as it is to set them downe in vvriting A great part of the day was alreadie ouerpassed and the sun in his declining when as both the Gentlemen ladies by common consent did descend to the most pleasant place of the garden vvhere vve sate orderly in circle-wise vpon the thin grasse which vnder the shadowy-sweet-smelling trees was defended from the parching heate of the sunne beames Possidonio as one desirous to be the first that should enter into the listes was set in a place somewhat higher than the rest vvho after he saw vs all equally attentiue and that our eares seemed as it were readie to heare him gaue this beginning vnto his speech Fabricio If I knewe thee to be of that force that thou wert able to impugne the least of my reasons how weake soeuer they may seeme to be I shoulde imagine my selfe to be in farre greater danger then I am But contrarily it cannot anie way sinke into my thought by vvhat meanes thou art able to resist them nor with what reason that carrieth with it a resemblance of troth thou art able to arme thy selfe against me Wherfore in my opinion it were far more fit more commendable before
with beautie and the guifts of nature vvho vntill that time had attentiuely noted and passed vnder silence the wordes of Possidonio turning hir selfe towards him with a womans voice saide thus vnto him Holding this thy last conclusion as true Possidonio to wit that honor victory ought to be giuē to the most ancient I would gladly vnderstand if the same question which is this day betweene you two did happen between 2. yong men equal in Nobilitie of bloud to whither of the two thou wouldst giue the price victory Mary to him Madam quoth Possidonio whose Nobility as I lately saide were most ancient To which she replied but how wilt thou know whether of the two were more ancient for that seemeth a hard matter for me to discerne Madam quoth Possidonio it is a verie easie thing for therein we ought to followe the common opinion of men of the country when y e same cannot otherwise be determined by priuiledges or other lawful meanes M. Peter Anthonie added hereunto Many yeares agoe Madam sentence is giuen in determination of that which you doe demand and as I thinke not onlie your ladiship but all that are heere present haue read thereof Whereunto the lady Laurelia said We neuer studied these your disputations which in regarde that wee are women are as farre vnmeet for vs as the handling of vveapons Peter Anthony replyed I doe not speake from the purpose Madam I say that many yeares since a question fell out betweene two noble young men of Florence to wit vvhether of them vvere the better Gentleman and of more ancient nobilitie in that citie of the which as euery man vvas affected some men did prefer the one of them some the other Finally it was adiudged that the Baronesi of vvhich house one of the Gentlemen were vvere the most ancient gentlemen not onely in Florence but in all the world And hovv may that be credited quoth the lady Aurelia or concluded by any firme argument Mary quoth he it vvas confirmed with a most forcible reason Forsomuch as all they vvho were issued of the bloud of the Baronesi some of them had a very long thin face others extreamly broad some a long nose others very short this man one eie greater then his fellovve that other one eie lovver set then another besides al this their bodies very deformed in respect of other men Which thing gaue the iudge good cause to thinke that they vvere made by nature in that season vvhen shee began first to frame men and so they vvere the most ancient and most noble vvheras other men vvere made when as she knevv better how to fashion them who being not so ancient were not consequentlie so Noble So that Madame if you desire of tvvo yong men or of many to know which of them is the most noble look which of them is most deformed for he is surely descended of the most ancient stock and so the most noble Truelie novv I remember quoth the lady Aurelia to haue read the storie as you report it This nevv and vvitty argument of nobilitie with the good vvit of the iudge was vvith a pleasant laughter recommended of the vvhole companie vvhich vvhen it was ceased Possidonio began againe thus to followe on his discourse Seeing that my tales are of no force as Fabricio latelie saide I know not truely hovv I should perswade my selfe vppon what hee will laie any foundation on the which hee may rest nor with what reasons hee shall be able to vphold himselfe in asmuch as if we speak of bloud he cannot compare with me as a thing hee neuer came neere as he will freelie confesse vnto me if of learning I will not begin againe to discourse any more therof for I haue franklie spoken thereof what I think and you may iudge as vvel as my selfe whether it maketh for him or not It may be he groundeth himselfe vpon riches Surely it should be an open follie to think so much more to speake it If then hee bee not to bee compared vnto mee neither in bloud nor in riches from which two things true and perfect nobilitie doth spring and if learning bee of no moment in matter of Nobilitie it may well appeare howe his iudgement is more then deceiued and his will more then obstinate And to the end that none of my reasons may goe without due proofe I will make this manifest vnto you likewise to wit that I surpasse him as farre in riches as in Nobilitie of bloud as I haue heeretofore concluded Which of you gentlemen are ignorant that if the least part of my wealth were set on the one side and all that he hath heaped on the other that mine would not farre exceede the value of his which I doubt not but you will iudge superfluous for me to declare beeing a matter cleere inough of it selfe Yet seeing we are entered therein I wil not forbeare to speake thereof Consider then worthy Gentlemen that if the great wealth and substance which is so much desired of mortal men be not vvholie vnited in me yet at y e least I possesse the greater part of it For if vve talke of statelie Palaces I am owner of such as cause those that doe behold them to wonder and they are especiallie furnished with rich and pretious stuffe If of pleasant Gardens I haue many of them which doe abound in all that which is beautifull to the eie and delightfull to behold I will not reckon vp vnto you the fruitful fields nor the shadovvy woods from the which al that which is necessarie for the life of man may bee gathered for thanks be to God I haue sufficient store of them lesse will I tel you what flocks of sheep I possesse for it may be if I should speake of them to others I should not bee beleeued I will likewise forbeare to declare of the gold and siluer vvhich is alwaies in my treasorie finally I refuse to speake of many other particularities vvhich my selfe am ashamed to rehearse and that bicause they are as well knovvn to your selues as to me I thinke it likewise very superfluous to open vnto you what great feasts rich apparel pompe chiualry musicke songes and al other manner of pleasures sports and feastings which matters are no lesse necessary then honorable to personages truly honorable as things vvhich do of thēselues shew themselues and are wel knowne of you to be continuallie obserued by me Now to the ende you may iudge aright you ought to consider what how great Fabricio his vvealth is Scarce had Possidonio giuen ende to the sound of his last words when as Fabricio moderately and suddenlie smiling I knovv not vvhereat and afterwardes shaking of his head he spake in this sort Truely Possidonio thou dost this day lay a great burthen vppon thy shoulders if thou doost vndertake to shew others my wealth or goods as thou termest thē forsomuch as not only that smal time of the day which remaineth no
were let run at two hares and as we gallopped after they being spent yeelded to the mercie of the dogges Wherefore comming to their succour as well contented with our prey we returned home because supper time drew neere After that wee had a little taken breath wee set our selues to supper with great delight vnder the fresh shadowe which being ended the garden being faire delightfull and pleasant there was not one of vs that was minded to depart from thence Wherfore some of vs being risen from the table went to sport our selues in the allies Others sitting still plaied at chesse and at tables so long as they were permitted by day light Afterwards we sate all togither on the thin grasse which was verie coole passing the time in pleasant and merrie talke vntil it seemed a fit houre to go to bed Wherfore euerie one rising went to take his ordinarie rest The second Booke THe ancient Poets by their fables doe sette down that Iupiter being at the mariage of Peleus inuited all the Gods and goddesses thither except Eris the goddesse of discord whereat she being greeuously offended with great industrie she framed y e golden apple and disdainfullie threw it on the table where Pallas Iuno and Venus were set round about the which was written Let this braue and rich apple be giuen to the fairest From hence because each of the goddesses did deeme her selfe to be both faire and gracious did arise a sudden quarrell Iupiter would not determine which of them should haue this guift the one being both his sister and his wife the other two his daughters but sent them to receiue their iudgement of Paris the sonne of Priam who to the end he might giue a right sentence gaue commandement that they should seuerally the one after the other present themselues naked before him Pallas shewing hir selfe promised him that if hee did iudge that she was the fairest she would make him the onely famous man for learning in the world Iune the most rich and Venus offered him the enioying of the fairest ladie in the world in regard of which promise he gaue hir the golden apple from whence afterwards did proceed the destruction of Troy Now let vs consider what fruit may be gathered by the shadowe of fables especially of this which I euen now recited For indeed vnder those vailes we may receiue no lesse pleasant then profitable instruction For somuch as by this fiction the Poets doe meane this that in the procreation of man the celestiall bodies do meet togither and according to their diuers powers doe diuersly bring forth sundry effectes in our bodies Into the which discord doth not enter least the bodie alreadie created should wholie perish Howbeit after that man is once framed and that he hath attained to that age that hee beginneth nowe to discourse within himselfe what kinde of life hee were best to follovve as the most noble in account amongst men whether that which is grounded vppon knowledge which the Philosophers were wont to cal a contemplatiue kind of life or otherwise y t which guideth a man that addicteth himself only to worldly matters which they tearme actiue or else that which consisteth wholy in pleasure which they name delightfull Then straightvvaie discord entreth of which three sortes of liues Soueraine Iupiter will not giue sentence which is the best least that in approuing the one he should condemne the other two and so the life of man should rather be constrained then free but hee leaueth them to the iudgement of man to the end that he may as pleaseth him tie himselfe to that kind of life that shall best like him it may be shewing vs thereby the free choice which is granted to vs by him Of the which notvvithstanding he that is caried away to follow the delightfull kind of life doth bring vnto him selfe vnspeakeable detriment If then a man in his young yeares did enter into consideration of these three maner of liues and by reason did discourse which of them were the most noble and did tie himselfe thereto I doubt not in that small number of yeares we haue to liue but we should take a farre better course and that the life of mortall men should be more pleasing accepted before God and more setled and prosperous for men wheras now we see the greater part to sinke and drowne themselues making choice of that which is worst For if we enter into a generall consideration of all men liuing truelie we shall finde the number of those to be verie small who followe the contemplatiue life as more noble then the other but verye manie who with an ardent desire do embrace either the actiue or delightful which tvvo are so much lesse vvorthy then the other as the body is lesse noble then the minde Of vvhich two partes nature hath framed man the one being subiect to corruption the other eternallie dureable These kind of men see not as hauing their invvard eies vailed how much more worthy desert it is to follovve those thinges that are incorruptible then in vain to labour after the pleasure of the flesh which is but as it were of a daies continuance For vvhich cause the custome of those that liue in that sort is greatly to bee blamed seeing that man doth wholie take delight in those thinges as if it were a naturall matter which bring him intollerable losse albeit at the first shevv they seeme pleasant and delightfull to the body VVhich opinion Possidonio did wholy leane vnto yesterday for grounding himselfe vppon those tvvo kinds of life he did sufficiently set forth the svveetnesse that is felte in them But Fabricio farre differing from him in iudgement vvill this daye endeuour himselfe to shevv that the contrarie therof is the troth as he who follovving a contemplatiue kind of life doth hold this as most certaine that true and perfect nobilitie doth consist in the vertues of the minde But to the ende that I seeme not my selfe to speake that for him which he determineth to relate I intend hencefoorth to giue place to his ovvne words Euery starre was now hidden in the skie fearing the cleere light which the sunne did more and more spread vpon the earth vvhen as vve being risen to exercise our bodies we mounted on horsebacke to take the freshe ayre and as our discourse led vs from one matter to another in the end we perceiued that vve had rid further then we determined wherefore turning back wee pased softly homevvards where the tables were couered for dinner and after wee had first walked a turn or two in the garden in the end we placed our selues at the table and after that wee had satisfied hunger and sate a while we marched to that place where Possidonio discoursed the day before to heare what Fabricio had this day to speake for himselfe who beeing fresh and lustie hauing called vs al together we compassed him round about And when he perceiued we vvere all in
maner of vice you see then Madame what diuersities doe proceede of these resemblances which were well vnderstoode by you maister Iohn Francisco Wherefore this tale that you inserted in the middest of Possidonio his discourse ought to breede no woonder For albeit it happen in some women as you gaue vs yesterday to vnderstand you may find the clean contrary in others And whereas the birth of Romulus and Remus cannot be hidden I say M. Dominico that their value and vertue did manifest their Nobilitie and not the temper of their bodies You may nowe Madame discouer his follies which thou thy selfe Possidonio couldest not discerne when as thou wentest about to perswade vs that man doth receiue from the ingenderer the qualities of the minde But what great follie is this wherefore diddest thou not as well affirme that a holy personage or a man well seene in naturall causes or experienced in Diuinitie could not ingender any other then a sainct a good Naturaliste or a diuine all which are qualities consisting in the minde Which if it shoulde come to passe the worlde should be well replenished with holinesse with wisedome with experience and thou shouldest then be one of that number But as that cannot happen so likewise I say that it cannot follow that one noble man doth engender a noble childe nobilitie being a qualitie of the minde euen as wisedom experience and other vertues of like sorte are And nowe how canst thou haue the heart to expect the victorie concerning the controuersie in question seeing I haue shewed by degrees thy manifest errours But let vs yet proceede to thy other reasons against which I need not take any stronger weapons they being as weake as the other I haue ouerthrowne Albeit that this seemeth to carrie some force with it which we see is commonly vsed in all partes of the world that such as are borne of noble parents are so held if thou haddest spoken otherwise and said in steede of this they are Noble men they are in deede called so it had not been amisse For it is true and it cannot any waies bee denied that whosoeuer is descended of Noble bloud wee call him a Noble man but generallie I denie this to containe a trueth Tell me I pray thee if he that is borne of a christian be straightwaies a christian Surely no. But euen as it is not onely necessary for him that intendeth to be a right and true Christian that by birth hee doe descend of christian parentes but likewise that hee receiue baptisme and keep the Commandements of Christ So it is not sufficient for a noble man to come of Noble bloud as a thing that maketh little or nothing in matter of Nobilitie but that he obserue that which is requisite for the attaining of perfit Nobilitie to wit that hee become Noble thorough the vertues of the minde Besides that I might adde hereunto that this thy consideration is farre from the purpose in asmuch as the prize was not giuen to him that shoulde onelie beare the name but to him that should in effect be the most noble of vs two Albeit that thou mightest reply hereunto Possidonio as thou hast alreadie affirmed that if they that descend of Noble men were not noble then they should not enioy the same priuiledges that Noble men doe Wherevnto I woulde aunswere that the bad custome of men therein is much to be blamed Forasmuch as they doe not imploy their discourse to that whereby the trueth may be made manifest but onelie giuing credite to the bare name they doe argue in such maner So that if we turne our back to the trueth and giue our minds to follow the lying opinion of the rude vulgar sorte which for the most part doe fall into great errors thy saying then shall be true Thou seest now Possidonio of what force thy argumentes are But I will passe ouer to the rest and come vnto that by which thou diddest seeke to prooue that if the infamie of a man be sufficient to blemish his whole stocke that the glorie and worthinesse therof ought by great reason extend it selfe to all his posteritie whereupon thou diddest consequently inferre that thy auncestors being noble thou must needes be so Although that this reason seeme apparent yet in answering therunto I might say and therewithall if I list not perticularly to passe thorow the rest of the reasons resist whatsoeuer thou hast alleadged that we do not now debate of the Nobilitie of our ancestors but we are to prooue which of vs two is the most noble and so by consequent shew what our nobilitie is not set forth the honor of other men And herein I will yeeld vnto thee that if we were both equall in Nobilitie of the minde that perhaps in regard of the antiquitie of thy predecessors y u mightest be more noble then my selfe But iudge nowe what these high praises and commendations of thy predecessors doe auaile thee and to what great purpose they were yesterday alleaged by thee For thou diddest with no lesse readinesse dexteritie and good grace recount them then they who from the top of some high towre doe with a loud voice tell the wonderful miracles of auncient holy fathers or from some scaffold in the market place recite out of the old Romanes the cruell warres of the Giantes or the furious loue of some Orlando But to let that passe how well this thy glorious speech did become thee I will proceed to this argument where thou diddest say that like as the honour of the sonne did extend to the father much more did the fathers glorie stretch vnto his children It is true Possidonio yet it followeth not that if the sonne by his owne vertues be made noble that the father is anie way partaker thereof or made noble thereby For if the sonne were verie expert in feates of armes or skilfull in matter of learning surely hee should want his senses that woulde affirme that the father did participate eyther in the experience of the arte Militarie or in Science with his Sonne they both beeing giftes of the minde wherein as I haue often times sayde true and perfit Nobilitie consisteth from the whiche it can verie hardlie bee transferred from one bodie to an other euen as thou diddest vainly perswade thy selfe These are thy sophisticate reasons Possidonio which being resisted by the trueth thou maiest perceiue what force they are of Fabricio hauing hitherunto continued his speech he pawsed a while and afterwardes proceeded in this maner Worthy Gent. M. Peter Anthonie knowing as well as my selfe the slendernesse of Possidonio his argumentes which he heaped the one on the others head he could not withhold from taking part with him and amongst other things to alleadge this reason in his behalfe that forasmuch as amongst the lawes of the Romains there was one which commanded y t the image of euery worthy knight shoulde be made and set in some publicke place which in festing maner they did with
and sinceritie of spirit You did afterwards Maister Dominico following on your matter tel vs the manifest folly of Herode Ascalonita wherunto I neede not answere any thing else but that some madnes entred into his minde in such sorte to execute his foolish fantasie What shal I say vnto you concerning the temeritie of Equitius and the presumption of others alledaged by you who being descended of base bloud did seeke to ennoble themselues in the worthy families of other men Surely if you consider their end you shall finde that they receiued condigne punishment for their foolish conceit some of them being banished others dying in prison others hanged as a recompence of their vnaduised enterprise Wherfore we ought not to sette their follies before vs as examples to followe Besides they sought not how to ennoble themselues as you affirme but to succeed in the kingdome patrimonie of those whose successours coulourably they pretended themselues to be But why did you not bring him for an example who was more familiar with god then any other mortal man who did not vaunt himselfe that he was descended of the bloud royal but did deny that he was born of Pharao his daughter desiring rather to be persecuted as one of the people of God then to take vpon him the glory of the royall bloud and to possesse the riches of Egypt And Gordius the father of Midas who is reported to be the richest king that euer was who from the estate of a husbandman became king of Phrigia between the limites of the lesser and the greater Asia built a Citie called Gordium where he consecrated a temple to Iupiter in the which not being ashamed of his obscure birth neither forgetting his base calling he offered the plough sharde which manie times hee had tilled the ground withall and the harneis hee was woont to couple his oxen togither to the yoke to the end that in all ages it might be manifest to all men what vocation he had been of Such examples ought in deed to be recommended vnto vs not those recited by you How weake then worthy Gent. the reasons are that Possidonio yesterday with many wordes set forth you may alreadie partly iudge as I will better approoue vnto you by the sequele of my discourse Forasmuch as speaking of Nobilitie he was forced to descend vnto vertue whence true and perfit Nobilitie is deriued whereof he discoursed I know not what but hee made such large flightes a farre off as the first Faulcon did yesternight about the phesant the reason was because he perceiued that the cleere light therof did ouermuch bleare his eies Wherefore like as the warrier who finding himselfe ouermatched with weapons which he cannot weild leaueth them to take others which he may manage with greater facilitie Euen so fell it out yesterday with Possidonio For hauing armed himselfe with vertue and knowing not how to vse it he had his sodaine recourse vnto riches hee skirmished so liuely with them that he hath not onely thereby made himselfe more noble then I am but then any other man likewise But now I being come to prooue what force those weapons haue I doubt not but I shall make it manifest that they are farre more weake and of lesse defence then the other He grounded himselfe vpon two propositions the one was that a learned and vertuous man hath no nobilitie in him as if that learning serued to no purpose to make a man noble if he want such riches as are required to be in a gent. because they are no lesse necessarie in nobilitie then bloud is The other was that declaring what goodes were hee forced himselfe to prooue that they were riches Nowe before I enter into the first proposition I will make manifest vnto you what trueth is in the last to the end you afterwardes may with more ease know the veritie of the other Thou wouldest then Possidonio haue riches to be goods thou deceiuest thy selfe greatly for if they were goodes they would cause the man that possesseth them to become better and more perfit then he is for such is the propertie of that which is good but riches doe not effect this For if these certaine goodes did make a man more perfect wee must of necessitie conclude that man should be lesse perfect then the thing by which he is made more perfit which if thou grauntest for true it shoulde followe that gold siluer pretious stones trees and other liuing creatures depriued of reason for these thinges and such like are riches should be more perfect and more Noble then man which should be too great a follie to think much more to vtter We will then conclude that riches are no goodes Moreouer it is a matter verie euident that of a good thing can nothing followe but that which is good but of these thy riches what good may euer insue Nay rather all venemous branches doe spring from that root They are not then good but the cause of all euill Which may euidently be seene by the vnbrideled desire Marcus Crassus did beare vnto riches which was the cause that he robbed the temple of Ierusalem and not only of his owne death but of Marcus his son and y e ruine of the Romaine armei For he being chosen Consul by the Romaines against the Parthians and conducting the army he came into the Prouince of Iudea and being at Ierusalem hee tooke from the holie temple of Salomon 8000. talentes of gold and tooke away a golden beame which amounted to the waight of 300. pound to the which the pretious vailes of the temple shining with a wonderfull beautie and incredible arte were hanged and to be short he tooke al the ornamentes which were of any value Hee passing with this pray into Parthia beeing more bent to pillage to heape vp gold then to ouercome the enemies in the end was driuen to that necessitie that with small adoe he was the cause of his sons death and the discomfiture of the armie the Romaines being then sore beaten and villanously murthered by that people his owne head his right hand was cut off presented to Herod king of the Parthians who in asmuch as in his life time he had so much bin affected to the loue of gold to the end that after his death hee might glut himselfe therwith Herod caused gold to be melted poured into his mouth Likewise the riches of Ptolomy king of Cypres were cause of his death For hee vnderstanding that the Romaines were determined to bring his kingdom into the forme of a Prouince take possession of his great treasor he thought to drown thē in the sea rather then they shuld come into the hands of his enemies but his mind being buried in his treasor y e miserable wretch could not indure to see them lost in y t sort but rather made choise after that Cato Portius was to that end sent into Cypres by the Senate to take away his own
life by poyson then to drown his wealth in the sea So that it cannot be denied but that riches are the cause of all euill For besides the mischiefe I haue alreadie recited that commeth by the greedie desire of them we see which my tongue hath horror to tell that the father is the murtherer of his sonne the brother of the brother and one friend of another I wil not to this purpose alleadge thee any examples either out of auncient or moderne histories being a thing that thou mayst now a dayes heare out of the mouth of euery man and a matter so manifest that euery where we haue tidinges thereof Men doe on all sides set vpon eche other and are in warre continually for this pelfe We see in euerie place abhominable treasons and conspiracies to attaine vnto riches This is not all that may be said thereof but much more for the rich man is alwaies in feare that being pursued by some enuious person he be not at sometime or other murthered If he eate he feareth poison if he walke abroad terror attendeth on him he quaketh at the name of warre he standeth in dread of water of aire of fire and to conclude he is neuer without feare And this happeneth because he knoweth that riches vanish away as lightly as the smoke before the winde what shall I say more The rich man is alwaies a thirst with an vnquenchable drought as hee that is tormented with a quotidian ague For if he be wealthy he coueteth still to possesse more so y t the whole world cannot suffice to glut his greedie desire Who is then so vnaduised to terme such a one rich who miserable man is no otherwise tormented then Tantalus who sitting in the middest of fresh and cleere running streames seeth most pleasant and delightfull fruite rounde about him and his heart burning to eate and drinke of them and yet hee cannot God forbid that such a one should be called rich but rather poore and needie aboue all other men Surely if riches were so necessarie the wise Athenians woulde neuer haue decreed and ordained for a law that whosoeuer became rich within their Citie shoulde for ten yeares space be banished Athens esteeming it to be farre more profitable to voide the Citie of such persons then to let them remaine there The Athenians knew well what infections riches doe bring with them which was the cause that as some plague they banished them out of Athens Now thou seest Possidonio what good these thy goodes doe bring Fabricio proceeded in like maner to the handling of his other argumentes when as M. Peter Anthony as it were taking the word out of his mouth saide thus vnto him Truely Fabricio that which thou hast spoken of riches hath brought me into a great doubt For hearing what thou hast discoursed therof on the one side it seemeth vnto me to be true and yet on the other side I am perswaded it is not wholly so Forasmuch as euerie day and in all places the most part of mortall men do some after one maner some after another giue themselues to the getting of gold and siluer yea not onelie the base and vulgar sort but likewise men of great credite and reputation old and yong men and those that are most wise in worldly matters Others carelesse of their owne life doe indeuour to enrich themselues vpon the sencelesse waters of the sea and doe daily scoure the coasts of the East countries the shores of the west parts and from North to South and South to North and leaue no place vntouched where they may inrich themselues Others to that purpose doe follow bloudy battels and some men doe manfully labour both night and day to get wealth These men in woodes mountaines those in vallies and plaines Others seek to come by riches by dangerous robberies Others by diuelish vsurie Wherefore if as thou sayst riches were cause of so great euill surely no man that loueth his welfare would against his will purchase his owne bane with so many cares and intollerable disquiet So that I seeing so strong reasons on both sides it is hard for mee nay a thing impossible to bolte out the trueth It is an easie matter to resolue this thy doubt aunswered Fabricio For auncient authours haue left vs in writing that riches whosoeuer first had the sight thereof is a thing most deformed wearing on the naturall visage thereof a masque of most fine gold denoting thereby that it is faire in apparence but foule within wherefore they who trauell so many Countries and take such paines to seeke it are enamoured with the outward shewe which blindeth the eyes of the vnderstanding so that they can hardly discerne how hurtfull the inward deformitie thereof is Which maketh man who is forgetfull of himselfe to addict his minde thereto Which Paulus Emilius perceiuing when he ouercame Perseus king of Macedonia and gloriously triumphed ouer him hee did not onely forbeare to touche the infinite treasure of the king but likewise to see it although he might haue been possessor of a wonderfull bootie Pompey the great hauing taken by force the temple of Ierusalem whereof I lately made mention found there an inestimable treasure and did not onely abstaine from taking the spoile thereof as Marcus Crassus did afterwardes but also from touching it as hee which knew well what hurt riches did bring And hee who before-hand knoweth the secrets of man as hee who made them that by the apparent beauty of riches man would easily contemne true and eternall treasure hath often put vs in minde in his infallible doctrine that here on earth man shoulde not heape vp riches as a corruptible thing and subiect to a thousand hazardes M. Peter Anthonie knew not well what to reply to his answere which pleased him aboue measure shewing that he was thoroughly satisfied therewith Wherfore Fabricio following on his discourse proceeded in this maner Gentlemen besides that riches are goodes Possidonio would haue them conioyned to Nobilitie by such necessitie that if anie noble man whatsoeuer were depriued thereof hee should no more be accompted noble amongst men His meaning is then that so long as a noble man enioyeth wealth he shall be honourable and afterwards be of base accompt O foolish opinion and deceitful beliefe Doest not thou consider Possidonio that this thy Nobilitie is light as the winde and dependeth of Fortune euen as hee who being on the maine sea hath lost both sterne and saile togither at a clappe Forasmuchas if those small nūber of souldiers which are now left to guard the towne did spoile thy treasure surely thou shouldest in one instant leese both thy wealth and thy nobility And as often as this were true that riches did make a man noble it should necessarily follow that an vsurer or a theefe beeing borne a gentleman shoulde become more Noble then he was before by meanes of his substance which he should gaine vnlawfully which howe farre it disagreeth from
the trueth I need not further to manifest vnto you This is the great glorie which riches bringeth to Nobilitie of the which Possidonio thou wouldest that liberalitie should proceede wherein thou art as much deceiued as in that which hath alreadie been spoken of because true liberalitie springeth not from riches but from the loue of the minde Which Philip of Macedonia that I may not further inlarge my discourse to perswade you therein did manifestly prooue when hee seeing Alexander his sonne ouerlauishe to certaine Princes of his kingdome whose loue hee sought to winne vnto him by liberall giftes in aduising him like a father he wrote vnto him that hee ought not to hope for anie faithfulnesse in those friendes who are purchased by presentes which when we want to send then doe they faile vs likewise but that hee ought to gratifie them with loue and sinceritie of heart wherein true liberalitie consisteth This king was well acquainted of what efficacie liberalitie which proceedeth from riches was Thou seest then Possidonio that the Nobilitie which yesterday thou diddest affirme to bee true and perfite is nowe fraile vaine and none at all I say then that it is neither the stately pallaces nor pleasant gardens nor fertill fields nor well fashioned apparell nor aboundance of golde or siluer as thinges which haue no stabilitie in them which doe make a man Noble but vertue whiche shineth in the minde There doth the perfection of nobility remaine there the bright glorie of man doth giue light Nay let warres spring amongst mightie Potentates let floudes of waters fall from heauen let the riuers and the Sea both togither swell let the fire bee kindled in these riches which thou callest goods for all this this kind of Nobilitie will neuer shrink nor become lesse because it is incorruptible which the philosopher no lesse replenished with nobilitie then wisdome may easilie perswade thee I meane Bias who seeing Priene his country vtterly brought to ruine and many bearing away their substance from thence and hee being asked why he did not carrie part of his goods with him aunswered I alwaies carie all my riches with me and trulie he did charge his mind not his shoulders with them as others doe and his wealth was not discerned with the eies of the body but with the eies of his mind But nowe that I haue sufficiently answered the reasons which thou diddest alleadge in the behalfe of riches for by this which I haue said thou mayst imagine how they make for thee now I say it shall not be from the purpose if I return to the other proposition which I left vnspoken of to wit that in a learned and vertuous man there can bee no nobilitie if hee want riches which are required in a gentleman bicause that learning is of it selfe vaine to ennoble any man What Possidonio dost thou affirme that learning is a vain thing in nobilitie and that science and knowledge are vaine Dooest thou holde that that is vaine which doth infuse the true light into nobilitie O wonderfull vndiscreetnesse ful of meere follie O most erroneous opinion worthy of all blame But why doe I so much maruell if a blind man cannot discerne the right waie Well thou shalt before we depart from hence wel perceiue what force learning and knowledge are of in nobilitie And truely if they had not beene worthy great estimation Philip the Macedonian king whose force and power was knowne to all Greece woulde not so soone as he had a sonne borne haue written to Aristotle the onely learned and wise philosopher in that sort he did Knowe thou Aristotle that I haue a sonne born vnto me for the which I render immortal thanks vnto the Gods not so much for that he is borne as because his birth hath happened in the daies of thy life for asmuch as I hope that being instructed and trained vppe by thee hee will proue a worthy successour of vs and our kingdome Weigh with thy selfe how the mind of a good prince vvas full of ioy because his sonne was borne in his time whose knovvledge and learning did not onely with the sound thereof fill all the worlde but euen pierce the cloudes He being a good father did desire to adorn his son with learning and science as treasures of far more inestimable value then his nobilitie his kingdome and riches were the greatnesse and the Nobilitie of his Sonne when as Alexander the Great was scarcely borne vnto him And Alexander himselfe hauing vnderstood that Aristotle his maister had published his vvorks abroad especiallie those which did intreat of naturall causes he was much offended therewith and saide Wherin shall we excel other men if those Sciences wherof we make profession are common to euery man Surely I had rather passe other men in learning knowledge then in riches and in Lordly dominion O vvordes most worthy of so great a Prince who preferred knowledge before all things in the world This was hee vvho going from Corinth to visit the Philosopher Diogenes in his tubbe enuyed his glorie saying vnto him that if he had not beene Alexander he vvould haue desired to haue beene Diogenes and that not bicause of the worthinesse of his Nobilitie but in regard of his great learning and wisedome vvhich would neuer haue happened that Alexander shoulde haue desired being not that which he was but to haue beene Diogenes You may novv see what power learning is of Possidonio what force the Sciences haue for if Alexander the great the ruler of all the East part of the world did so much loue and affect them as I haue giuen you to vnderstand it is not to be beleeued that they are vaine in the ennobling of man And Paulus Emilius hauing ouercome Perseus king of Macedonia as I lately tolde you took only out of all his treasure two bookes to instruct his children withal thereby likewise you may perceiue how farre greater the estimation of learning then of riches is and whether they bring not greater glory to a noble man then it dooth Whereby thou mayest vnderstand that in arguing vainely yesterdaie thou diddest alleadge such things as were not worthie the recitall But I will not gentlemen particularly call to minde euery seueral argument which hee heaped togither For he might alledge many more which notwithstanding by the answeres I haue already made woulde bee soone ouerthrown as reasons nothing at al sauoring of troth Tel me Possidonio doost thou indeed iudge thy weapons to be of as great force as thou didst beleeue Alas how foolish is this thy opinion and thy self more sottish if thou yet remaine therein VVel I hope by this resistance that I haue made y t I haue hitherunto satisfied you in euery point Yea but qd the lady Laura with a feminine readines where haue you forgot that which he saide when as he granted if my memory serue me wel that thou wert likewise a man of honor but in regard that his nobilitie is more ancient than
of the Danube with infinit other nations Of Pompey the great the son of Pompey Strabo doth recite his triuÌ„phs especially y t which he had in Affrique against DomitiaÌ„ The deliuerance y t Brutus freed his countrey from wheÌ„ he did driue froÌ„ thence Tarquin y e proud with his successors was cause that he was named the father of the Romane liberty the like is said of y e other Brutus Fabius Maximus was likwise rightly called the defender of the commonwealth when he bridled the fierce courage of Anniball of Carthage The wonderful ouerthrow that Claudius Nero gaue y e Carthaginians when he presented Asdrubal his head to his brother do cause vs to remember him not y e bloud nor the generosity of his ancestors The great value of Horatius who gaue the people of Rome their libertie when as hee alone standing on the bridge did resist the Tuscanes The glorious Trophees and many victories which Camillus the great obtained against the Falisci are recommended vnto vs especialâ—y those which in his exile he had against the Gaules who had forcibly taken and burned the citie of Rome Likewise in this his expedition hee gloriously vanquished the Volsci the Latines the Equi the Erinqui with other Nations Of Tyberius Gracchus who also subdued the Gaules Of Paulus Emilius who conquered the Gaules that dwelt on both sides the Alpes Of Paulus Emilius his sonne who hauing brought Liguria into subiection ouerthrewe and tooke Perseus king of Macedonia Of Marcus Claudius Marcellus who surmounted and slue Viridimarus king of the Gaules Of al these there is nothing spoken of their Nobilitie or of their bloud or of their descent The wonderful deeds which both the Scipiones did as well in Spaine as in Affrique and Asia for the which the one was called Scipio Africanus the other Asiaticus doe cleerely manifest their renowne while the worlde doth stand in euerie place and not their familie The value of L. Martius who succeeded those two against Gisgon and Magon gathered the Romaine army togither which was all broken and valiantly ouercame the enemies Likewise the vertues of Scipio Nasica were such that besides the victorious triumphs he obtained ouer his aduersaries he was rightly iudged by the Senate to be the worthiest of the Romaines and that not in regard that hee was descended of the most noble stocke of Rome And if I would so farre forth inlarge my discourse as well I might concerning this matter by true and no fabulous examples surely neither time nor my tongue woulde serue me to expresse them Thou maiest see then Possidonio that so manie auncient trumpets as doe resound in the world do not set forth neither the worthinesse of bloud nor the antiquitie of linage nor the rich pallaces of so many worthy knightes but their notable vertue their wonderful prowesse and their singular greatnesse of courage The bloud of that diuine Plato or of learned Aristotle or of wise Pythagoras of Socrates of Diogenes of Xenophon of Demosthenes of Thales Milesius of Chilon the Lacedemonian of Pittacus of Bias of Cleobulus of Periander whose wisedome did beautifie Greece nor of other Philosophers by whose learning the secrets of Nature haue been opened vnto vs was not so glorious and renowmed as their vertue of great fame What doe wee heare of the birth of Homer the Grecian or of Virgil of Mantna What of that eloquent Cicero What of the offspring of famous Titus Liuius of Padua of M. Varro Or of Crispus Salustius What of the stocke of Plinie of Verrona and of all they who by their learning are at this day renowmed in the world Truely nothing at all But of their diuine skill their arte and vertue all men haue written and spoken Therehence proceedeth that excellencie by the which one man is to bee preferred before another From thence springeth that dignitie which causeth one man to bee distinguished and knowne from another Therehence proceedeth that true knowledge which maketh a Noble man from thence groweth that separation and diuision betweene man and man causing the one to bee esteemed Noble gentle and accomplished and the other ignoble abiect and vile To conclude from thence true nobilitie hath his beginning You may see nowe Possidonio of what small accompt bloud is in matter of Nobilitie It is then necessarie for him whosoeuer hee be that desireth to become Noble to beautifie his minde with good and vertuous actions I say his minde which is as readie and apt to take the impression of Nobilitie as a faire looking glasse which doth as well receiue the beautifull forme of faire Ladies as the ill countenance of ill fauoured women so the minde of man is prepared to receiue either Nobilitie or basenesse For as it adorneth it selfe either with good or bad conditions so doth it present them vnto them Consider a man whose minde is iust couragious temperate prudent pitifull charitable and louing graced with all vertues and another whose minde is vniust vnconstant lauish foolish cruel wicked hatefull and disgraced with all vice wilt not thou iudge the first more noble and perfit albeit he be not descended of some noble parents then the latter And what if some times the first were but meanlie apparelled and the latter did weare costly garmentes wilt thou say that hee were more noble of more accompt and worthy of more estimation no surely as I thinke for I perswade my selfe thou hast now changed thy opinion And that thou wilt not fall into that errour which many doe who beleeue that he ought to be more esteemed more honoured then others who is well apparelled For if thou diddest put costly rayment vpon a porter or some such fellowes backe perhaps he would seeme a farre more proper man then a great manie such gentlemen and yet I hope you will not say hee is a noble man For example heereof take Diogenes the prince of the Senicall sect who went alwaies barefoot with an old patched cloke on his shoulders in this maner was he found in Crania by Alexander the great when he went to visite him as we said of late Such a kinde of habite did not giue commendation either to his wisedome or his nobilitie Epaminondas that famous Prince and leader of the Thebane armies did alwaies weare an old worne gown which because he did neuer vse anie other hee caused it oftentimes to be mended whilest in the meane time he kept his house You may now know hereafter that true and perfit Nobilitie is deriued from no other fountaine then the vertues of the minde and not from the worthinesse of bloud Here Fabricio paused a while and afterwardes followed on his discourse in this maner Consider Possidonio that poore apparell doth not defraud a man of his demerites And like as wee haue concluded that true Nobilitie descendeth from the vertues of the minde and not from the dignitie of bloud So then wee will yet conclude that it doth not worke his effect no not in riches Forasmuch as if
the seruants perceiuing he so dainly called one of his fellowes who brought a brase of dogges with him which hee let slip at these wild beasts we being mooued with the crie of y e dogs and noyse of the hunters wee looked out at the windows which were next the garden where we might see this vvar already begun vvhich vvas pursued vvith an infinit pleasure of vs all For vve might see them runne vvith great svviftnesse the beasts flying and the dogs follovving but y e chiefest sport vvas the many turnings in the garden and the crooked alleies by vvhich the beasts did fetch many a skip turne to saue their liues from the deadly pinching of the dogs And after they had some 3. or 4 times rounded the garden the hart y e bridge being yet cleane dovvn the gate open vvith a light skip got into the thicket again the kids follovved the dogs after which one of the seruants perceiuing he drew vp the bridge least they shuld come out again But longing after the sport vve came down vvith each of vs a cudgel in our hand you may gesse vvhat these beasts did vvherof there vvas great store in the vvood vvhen they savv y e dogs follovv them They ran euerie way somtimes thorow y e thickest places somtimes right forth vvhilest vve vvere intentiue after this sport we might espy 3. seruants coÌ„ming out of y e vvood vvith the 2. kids the hart 2. yong hares vvhich had been slain in this vvar Wherefore imagining this pray to be sufficient after the ordinarie rate after y t commandement was giuen to take vp the dogges who were not yet out of breath we came forth of the woode and shortly after sate downe to supper according to our woonted order where wee supped verie pleasantly the winde blowing verie freshly vpon vs after supper wee fell in talke of this sodaine hunting which fell out vnlooked for Wherein wee continued vntill the starres were seene in the skie hauing beforehand taken order that Nennio should the next day followe with his discourse at the same time that Possidonio and Fabricio had done theirs and then we entred into the house where after we had walked a little seeing it a fit houre to go to bed the torches being lighted vve vvere brought euerie one vnto his lodging The third Booke AS often as waighing with my selfe I consider howe great the weakenes is which nature yeeldeth vnto maÌ„ I cannot surely imagin whence it shoulde proceed that al men what soeuer doe oftentimes feele a certaine motion of bloud which spreadeth it selfe about the heart when as they do only call to minde but the verie name of Nobilitie which they possesse and that much more when they are told thereof by some other Nay there are some who without measure coueting that title doe puffe vp their mindes esteeming that to be the greatest fauour of all other Other some there are without doubt of a more damnable opinion who are mounted vp to that height of pride by the onely remeÌ„brance likewise of that name hauing no thought to the difficultie of the effect thereof that they doe verilie perswade themselues such is the deâ—eiueable beliefe of mortall men that the whole worlde is at their commandement and surely they deeme themselues to be equal to no other then to God himselfe and by this conceite they being led away they despise all vertue Surely this doth draw me into great doubtes For as I say if I enter into consideration of mans weakenes and do waigh wherof he is made I see nothing therein but vile filthinesse And nature did not onely giue this vnto man at his first creation but likewise in the dissolution of this mortall life it made the same farre worse Seeing that the weake and fraile members of man as it is euident of it self so soone as the spirit is separated from the bodie how soone they are changed into wormes into earth loathsom smels O miserable life of man and of short continuance But in truth this ought to be smally regarded although it be a great argument of y e frailty of man if we did note not only in the beginning the end of the life of man but euen in the midst therof matters of greater woonder because we see that all thinges vnder the heauens doe make continuall warre ech one against themselues and all togither bid most cruell battaile against man alone The aire oftentimes is assailed with darcke cloudes with flashing lightning and threatning thunder and all these are ordained to vexe man The water against the fire The fire against the water and both togither do fight against man Moist thinges against drie thinges and drie thinges against moist and both most and drie warre against man The South striueth with the North and the other windes and all of them togither blowing with great impetuositie in the depth of the swelling seas with great force do often deceiue y e vain affections of man What shal I say more One man doth conspire against another If then the life of man be after so strange a maner wrapped in so many miseries and in so many dangers I cannot wel imagine what cause he hath to wax so proud with this title of Nobilitie which is giuen him And as for my selfe I know not els what I should say vnto you but that such men being on high lifted vp with a superfluous desire of glory do let theÌ„selues be carried away with their vaine appetites like vnto a bird which flying in the aire hath no assurance O foolish Nobilitie if so we ought to call it or rather deceitfull shadow For we are not able to comprehend what aid this Nobilitie no lesse desired then reuerenced of mortal men may bring vs for asmuch as it neither bringeth wisedome nor knowledge incomparable gifts which are sent vs from God neither doth it make vs more iust or more prudent which are qualities that consist in the soule It may be that it is an aide vnto the body No surely in my opinion for it doth not giue neither greater beautie nor greater strength nor greater grace thereunto by all which reasons we may easily gather into how great errour these maner of men doe so foolishly fall Yet will I not say but that sometimes Nobilitie is cause of great good as it is indeed when it is true Nobilitie but that which at this day beareth sway in y e most part of men is not onely cause of any good but contrarilie of great euill For if we would without imagination passe thorow all the Cities that are in the world we shuld find very few or it may be none at al where there are not factions diuisions between gent. and the common sort from whence afterwards do bud hatred quarrels so many murthers as we may heare of euery where Amongst many histories I might here recite to you how y e people of Rome by reason of y e discords which did
pride and ignorance but of vnsufferable euill and ineuitable losse How often hath there been cruel warre betweene the people of Rome How many Nations hath beene raised in armes How much bloud hath beene shedde through the continuall dissentions which grewe betweene the noble men and the common people Surely verie much for the pride of noble men against the comminaltie was growne to that height the desire which they had to increase their wealth by the occupation of that which belonged vnto other menne was so great that the common people oftentimes did remain in more safety in waging war abroad then they did in peace with the nobility at home who handled them as their capital enimies by which actiōs they had not only brought the common people of Rome to extream pouerty but all Italie whereof did follovve ciuill vvarre and that bicause they did vsurpe both the goodes and landes of the cōminaltie vvhereof did spring the lavve Agraria which did forbid that no man vvhether he vvere noble or of the common sort should hold more land then a paire of oxen could plowe in fiue hundred daies and that the enemies lands should be deuided amongst the people VVhich lawe did so displease the nobility that they conducted their armies euen to the extreame limits of Italie and Tiberius Gracchus succeeding as Tribune of the people to fauour that lavve the Romane liberty vvas cleane ouerthrowne For thereof did arise such great hatred that they came to armes and to bloud without measure wherupon the people reposed themselues vpon Marius and the nobility vpon Scilla vvho after most cruell vvarre remained conquerour And the same disdaines and invvard enmity renuing betvveene the Nobility and the communaltie in the time of Cesar and Pompey the one making himself the leader of Marius his side the other taking part vvith Scilla as their cheefe conductor vvhereof did follovve infinite and cruell slaughters Cesar in the ende beeing victorious vvho was the first tyrant of Rome What shall I say of the bloudie butcherie which follovving after the suddaine death of Asellius Pretor of Rome who vvas set in that authoritie to reforme the insatiable vsuries which were so increased in the citie by the rich and mighty that the people entred into despaire and vvith great furie did breake dovvne the Images of Scilla and of Pompey which vvere so hatefull vnto them Greeuous likevvise vvere the dissentions vvhich did spring in the famous Citie of Athens betweene the noblemen and the people during y t vvhich Cassandra was established by the nobilitie chiefe of the faction against the comminalty Polipercon being their leader who not without great slaughter did driue Cassandra into Macedonia so that the people as conquerors remained at libertie Whereuppon they did condemne the principall persons of the contrary faction to death and did banish others the citie amongst whō Demetrius Phalerius was one and Phocion that great captaine of theirs whoe albeit that his vertues were iudged worthy of al humane glory and praise yet came he to be so hatefull vnto the common people that euen vntill his death they denied him buriall How greeuous the hatred is which groweth by wicked oppressions made by the nobility against the comminalty they onely doe knovv who haue made tryall thereof That which happened vnto Fabius beeing Consul may make good proofe hereof for he extreamly oppressing the people hadde in such sort inflamed their greeuous hatred against him the Romane armie buckling with their enemies and holding the victorie for certaine and vndoubted the souldiors rather resolued to depriue themselues of the victorie then to giue him cause of triumph Farre worse then this happened to Appius Claudius a capitall enimie of the people for he holding the Consulship in the warre against the Volsques the souldiors rather gaue him triumph of dishonour then of victory turning their backs to their enimy And heere I will declare vnto you the ende of this Appius Claudius who was woont to call a most vile prison which was in Rome the habitation of the Romaine people but the name was not agreeable to the effect for by the appointment of the Tribune of the people he was shut vp in that prison amongst theeues and murderers and there put to death But why doe I speake onely of Appius Claudius seeing that it hath alwaies remained as a naturall and hereditary instinct to that familie with mortall hatred to pursue the commons so that the chiefest of that house vvere in continuall dissention with the officers that vvere for the people By this you see that the Nobilitie of bloud is not onely cause of pride and ignorance but of most cruell slaughters and mortall hatred Nennio gathered this last conclusion of his speech and afterward he followed on in this maner The nobilitie of bloud most worthy gentlemen besides the calamities afore spoken of dooth ingender a kind of enuy that stil gnaweth in the heartes of noble men for they seeing some amongst the common sort deseruedly aduanced to honour and dignity through their singular value vertue immediatly there ariseth in their hart intollerable enuy which doth eat and consume them as the sunne doth the snow Of such vigor was the enuie which increased in the hearts of the Romane nobility when as they saw Gn. Flauius whose father was a Libertine created Pretor of the people in regard vvhereof they laid awaie their golden rings and their trappings of their horses which vvere markes of nobility which they vvere vvont to do when they were sad and sorrovvful And on a time the same Gn. Flauius being Pretor going to visit his collegue who was sick he met there many gentlemen of Rome amongst the vvhich one of them in regard he vvas born of base parentage moued not himselfe to do him honour as Pretor and their superiour vvhereof he made no account but commanded that the chaire vvherein the greatest and most vvorthy officers of Rome vvere caried throgh the city should bee brought vnto him and afterwardes caused it to be placed before the gate of the pallace to the end that none of the gentlemen should issue forth but they should euen in despite see him set in that chair into the which none of them did euer ascend Enuy likewise did cruelly afflict the hearts of the Romane nobilitie vvhen as they savv Ventidius Bassus of whom Fabricio did speak yesterday of a base hackney man to be mounted to the dignity of a Tribune to the degree of Pretor to be created Summus Pontifex and finallie to be made Consull in such sort y t they made verses vpon the basenesse of his birth But doe I say onely that the noble men are enuious ouer the common people when as it doth with great vehemency finde place euen amongst themselues Enuy was the cause of the horrible vvars vvhich did grovv between Cornel-Scilla Marius and Cinna which were most noble men betvveene Cesar and Pompey vvho vvere Patriciens of Rome of vvhom I did make mention
desiring to knowe who they were wee might see two of their seruantes who brought vs certaine word of other company that were newly come who had expresly taken their iourney thither to visite vs whereof some of them were straightly ioyned vnto vs by kindred others by friendship who had brought their houndes with them to passe the rest of the day merily with vs in hunting But after they saw vs sitting circlewise round about Nennio vnder the shadow of sweete smelling orenge trees after they had saluted vs not without some wonder they demaunded vvhat the cause might bee that we sate round about in that fashion and what plaie we were at but seeing nothing about vs fit for anie pastime it maie be quoth they you are set to tell tales Wherefore we hauing in as few wordes as we coulde tolde them the successe of the matter in question and how that the two daies before were spent in the same discourse with a singular contentment of the whole company They vnderstanding the matter we intreated of did as it were enuie vs and were not a little discontented that they had not beene there at the beginning So they changing their former determination and little caring for hunting it pleased them better to staie with vs then to withdrawe vs from our enterprise begun and almost ended they contenting themselues with the conclusion and end of the question to remedy that which they had lost in hearing the beginning and middest thereof Wherfore they being set and placed amongst vs as conueniently as they might wee turned our lookes our eares and our mindes towardes Nennio who seeing vs set in as good order as we were before without anie further staie added these words following vnto his former speech If the noble men vvhich doe liue at this daie Master Dominico doe vse such violences such theftes such lasciuiousnesse and other such mischiefes as you alleadge they are not worthie of life and as for mee I will iudge them the most vile infamous and reproachfull persons which euer liued on earth although they did descend of most noble parentes For the worthines of their blood is obscured and cleane defaced by their euill conditions whereby maie bee gathered that the worthinesse of blood though at the first it giueth a good impression and addeth grace to a true and perfect noble man yet is it not sufficient to make him perfectlie noble It is then necessarie to grace the nobilitie of blood to adorne his life with worthie and valorous actions and to endow himselfe with qualities fit for a gentleman Master Iohn Francisco saide and what are those qualities and conditions which doe set foorth a gentleman and doe make him perfectly noble They are quoth Nennio these to follow vertue and to flie vice Whereunto Master Iohn Francisco replied and what are those vertues and those vices Nennio answered I esteeme it a superfluous matter to declare it vnto you you knowing them right well as one in whom all vertue shineth and vice taketh no place But to satisfie your minde heerein I say that the qualities and ornamentes which are requisite for the conseruation of nobility to bring a gentleman to soueraigne perfection are many but I wil discourse of those vnto you which seeme vnto me to bee most necessarie A gentleman borne of noble blood ought to be intirely good and therewithall he ought in like manner to bee wise prudent iust and temperate aduised in all his actions according as the degree of his nobilitie doeth require he ought to be couragious and gratious but especially of a sharpe wit quicke iudgement and good vnderstanding in his discourse honest eloquent and modest in as much as in any action whatsoeuer modestie bringeth great ornament vnto man Let him carrie grauitie with him which bringeth credite and reputation amongst men Let him yet bee respectiue reuerent gentle and courteous for by that meanes hee shall become pleasing and amiable to all men and the brightnesse of his nobility shall thereby shine and increase much more Let him seeke to please others in all lawfull matters wherein a generall good will may be gotten Let him doe his indeuour to spread abroade a good reputation of himselfe and to imprint a good opinion of himselfe in the mindes of men Which hee shall easily bring to passe if besides those matters I haue spoken of hee doe take heede to abstaine from those things which doe not only wholly take away but in any thing blot or diminish his credite Let him not be ambitious proud arrogant high minded nor discourteous because that such kinde of behauior is wont to breed lothsomnes hatred euil wil disdaine Let him not be vaineglorious in praising himselfe nor too much affected in his actions Let him auoide the euill speeches of other men But why doe I thus reckon vp particularly that which belongeth vnto him seeing that euery man ought of himselfe to know that which defraudeth him of honour and renowne that which doth increase it Here Nennio paused a while which Master Peter Anthonie perceiuing taking the speech vpon him said thus I would wish Nennio that thou wouldest now shew vnto vs what exercise and conuersation a gentleman hauing these partes in him shall vse Nennio answered that maie easily be gathered from those preceptes I haue giuen for if hee bee good his conuersation and exercise likewise shall be good Yea but I could wish that thou wouldest be pleased to discourse more particularly thereof Whereunto Nennio said It is certaine that the value and excellency of man proceedeth either from learning or armes For the name the glorie and the nobility likewise of so many worthy men and so many valiant knights should long since haue beene extinguished with their body if their minde had not beene graced either with armes or learning To the ende then that he that is borne of noble blood may become excellent and valorous amongst noble men he ought wholly to addict himselfe thereto imploy his whole minde and study therein But I will not particularlie seeke in euery point to handle the qualities fit for a gentleman noblie borne for besides that time woulde not suffer me to doe it he may supply that which wanteth in considering those meanes I haue aboue rehearsed only I will not forbeare to aduertise him of this that in all his actions hee ought to consider the ende and to gouerne himselfe in them with honest mediocrity shewing his worthines with discretion and good iudgment and that he take good heede vnto his conuersation for men will iudge him to be such as his conuersation is and if hee keepe company with wicked and bad persons he shall be reputed as they are These are the true qualities these are the right exercises which he that desireth to become perfectly noble ought to obserue although hee bee not descended of noble bloud But me thinketh we haue staide very long vpon these two sortes of nobilitie Wherefore to the end I may
deceiued proouing moreouer that riches was the soueraigne good of man and Fabricio that they were occasion of all euill Certainlie both of you did shewe that beeing drawen vvith the passion of the minde each of you did speake your pleasure for indeede they are not of themselues neither good nor euill but a meane betweene both and such as by vse we doe make them For if wee bestowe them badlie they are surelie euill if we spende them vvell I see no cause vvhy they shoulde bee euill They are not necessarie vnto true nobility yet doe they bring some aide thereunto in as much as there is no vertue in the world nor any dignity that can be gotten without these meanes especially in this age as of late I said vnto you And hee that desireth them to the intent he may bee a helpe vnto others is not to be blamed so that this his affection do not surpasse a certain tēpered mediocrity But leauing all these discourses apart and intending Possidonio and Fabricio to come to the conclusion of our speech God knoweth whether it grieueth mee or not to giue sentence this daie because I am certaine that the pronouncing thereof cannot be without the disquieting of the thoughtes vexing of the heart and griefe of minde vnto one of you Neuerthelesse quoth both of them with a willing minde speake freelie for all that for it may bee vvee shall depart from hence with more loue and kindnesse when we haue heard the determinate end of our disputation then when we came hither like as in wrastling of necessitie one of vs must needes take a fall Whereunto Nennio answered you did both of you promise mee so much before I did receiue the charge of so heauy a burthen But howsoeuer it fall out that I may commit no error I wil this day shew my selfe conformable to the opinion of the Emperour Gismond who being reprehended by some of his familiar friends because he did aduance men of base birth yet adorned with vertue and not such as were borne of noble bloud He answered As for me I will exalt such as ought to bee preferred before any other men liuing and those from whom true nobilitie proceedeth which opinion because it agreeth with reason I intende to followe Wherefore I saie that like as it is a thing worthy greater commendation to builde a newe pallace to stoare it with moueables and to inhabite it then it is onlie to dwel therein so is he worthy of far more greater glorie who of himselfe becommeth noble then hee who is simplie borne noble and for this cause therefore and many more no lesse pregnant then true reasons heretofore alleadged I iudge and determine this that the nobilitie of the minde is farre more true and farre more perfect then the nobility of blood conioyned with riches and consequently thou Possidonio beeing noble by birth only and Fabricio by the vertues of his minde as hath a long time beene prooued vnto you I say that he is famous with more height and perfection of nobility and so likewise worthy of more honour and glorie then thou art And therefore giue the victory of the question in cōtrouersie togither with the prize vnto thee Fabricio as to the most noble Nennio hauing spoken in this wise he helde his peace Fabricio hauing yeelded him due thanks for his iust sentence with very good wordes without any longer stay with a good grace hee tooke the ring and turning towards Possidonio he spake vnto him in this manner I will neuer permit but that thou likewise shalt be partaker of this sentence Possidonio for if it hath beene fauourable vnto me it shal likewise in parte bee pleasing vnto thee and therefore the Ring shal remaine with thee which yet thou shalt not weare in remembrance of the Ladie Virginia who gaue it but of me So he extending his hand gaue him the ring and albeit that oftentimes hee refused it yet in the ende being constrained thereunto by the companie hee tooke it in signe of brotherlie friendship Scarse were these laste wordes ended and the ring giuen by Fabricio accepted of by Possidonio but all the Ladies with a cheerefull countenance did rise vppe from their places to shevve themselues after the fashion of women that they were glad and wel pleased with Fabricio all their voices being heard but the Lady Camilla was louder then any of the rest reioicing cspeciallie at his victorie who being likewise risen with a quicke and speedie pace marching towardes the greene Oliue trees of the garden for shee knewe right in what estimation the leaues thereof were and how much worthy of commendation he was who was deseruedlie crowned with them hauing broken some branches of them she suddenlie made a garland of them interlaced with flowers such as yong maidens are wont to make and therewithal with her owne handes shee crowned Fabricio vsing these speeches vnto him with a womanlie voice Thou shalt we are it in signe of victorie Wee likewise being risen from our places and being met togither in the galleries and standing at the windovves which looked towards the garden from whence a sweet gale of wind did blowe wee still did discourse amongst our selues of that which had passed especiallie of the determining of the disputation and of the victorie purchased by Fabricio All of them equally commending no lesse the ready liberality of Fabricio in bestowing the ring vpon Possidonio then his good mind in accepting thereof who albeit he had not gotten the victorie in this controuersie yet in debating the matter with Fabricio hee alleadged no weake reasons thereby to haue become conquerour Thus we remained there vntill supper time approched when as the tables being couered vnder the fresh ayre after that we had supped with great contentment of vs all wee passed the rest of the night in sport and pastime vntill it was time to go to bed And before we departed from thence wee all with one consent gaue order hovv vve should spend y e next day folowing which albeit it was passed in honest and pleasaunt exercise yet did I not determine to enter into any further discourse therof That which hath bin spoken this day being the last in reuerence of him who gouerneth al things and who by his heauenlie will hath hitherto beene my guide and conductor shal at this time be sufficient FINIS