them that honour vs to spoyle them that serue vs to persecute them that loue vs neyther to musel the mouth of the labouryng Oxe nor vniustly to withdrawe the rewardes of well deserued hier for these are the workes of infidelitie Therefore if nature haue somewhat heretofore nusled vs in the churlishe affections of selfe Loue which is the authour of pryde and consequently the cause of great mischiefe yet let vs hencefoorthe followe the perswasions of reason whyche teacheth vs to shunne the vaine enticementes of follie and to searche out the diuine secretes of wisedome and surelye the first point hereof in myne opinion is for a man to knowe hym selfe It is straunge that the nature of man shoulde be desirous of nouelties and not regarde his owne safetie or that his minde shoulde be able to discouer the qualitie of the heauens and yet graueled in the knowledge of himself but you will say it is an easie matter for a man to bée knowen from a beaste and that is by reason and vnderstanding Then what meant the Philosopher Diogenes that in the Market place stoode gazing amongst a multitude and being demanded whome he sought made answere that he loked if he mighte sée anye man they told him that there were manye but hée sayde agayne verily amongst so many I can not finde anye man for he accompted them no men which coulde not rule theyr affections whiche in the common sorte of people is not easie to be founde when of the learned themselues it is a rare thing to be followed And as it is sayd the greatest Clearkes are not alwayes the wysest men nor commonly the strongest moste valiant And as the highest trées are more subiect to the blustering force of the winds than the low shrubbes which are shrowded vnder the defence of the Mountaines so the noble mindes of Princes and worthy Péeres are sooner shadowed and ouercast with the clowdes of Vanitie than the quiet fansies of the meanest whose affections are gouerned by the stedfast rule of Vertue And for this cause it was worthily prouided by the Emperoures of olde tyme that the same daye they were crowned euen in their chiefe royaltie the artificers shoulde come personally and demaunde how and after what sorte it woulde please him to haue his Tombe fashioned and this was done solemnely to the intente he shoulde be mindfull of death and not surprised with too muche delighte of suddayne felicitie Therefore if Princes and Emperoures haue not bin ashamed to acknowledge themselues mortall and by this meanes to suppresse the swelling waues of vayne glory it behoueth all priuate men muche more vigilantly to watche and warde that they bée not at anye time puffed vp and infected wyth the strong poyson of selfe loue and most hatefull surquedrie Of Wine and Women CHAP. 6. HEliodorus in the thyrde Booke of hys Ethiopian Historie proueth that the cause of intemperancy and lust are both one for as well sayth he the mind of a drunken man is flexible as the affections of loue are inconstant bycause they are both drowned in moyst humors and therefore we sée that a common louer wil soone be drunke and a drunkerde soone moued with the desires of loue It were a doubtfull question to determine whether hathe greater force of Wyne or Women for surelie the strength of the one is inuincible and the lust of the other not to be satisfyed Thys conquereth Kings that wasteth whole countreys this desguiseth mē into beastes that transformeth mē into Monsters This diuorceth vs from the ioyes of Heauen and that other winds vs to paines of Hell. But least we should offende with Tiresias we will rather confesse with the Chamberlaine of Darius that in these poyntes women are soueraigne And as the vse of them both and many things else is very necessarie pleasant and profitable so it is only the abuse eyther of them or anye thing that is filthie tedious and incoueniente May not the trée be good although the blossoms are blasted is not the ayre wholsome bycause it is hurtful to the sickly or is gold naught bycause our nature is corrupted no it is pure but we are vnperfect these thyngs are wholesome but we are immoderate they are good but our affections are euill disposed Aristotle gaue counsell to King Alexander in his most troublesome affayres and warlike aduentures to behold the beautifull countenance of women and by pleasant spéeche with them had to lighten the weight of cares which continually increasing mighte discourage the mind of the most valiante from his noble enterprise wherein he had great reason for what can be more delectable vnto a man than to behold the image of himself sette forth in a more perfect and heauenly figure what more comfortable than to sée the cause of his life and consequently the chiefe authour of his felicitie what is more ioyfull than pleasure what more pleasant than beautie and what can bée more beautifull than women surely nothing And I suppose with the Poets that Nature hath curiously fashioned them in hir owne molde with suche excellencie of personage to spite the proude Goddesse that vauntes hir selfe in beautie to be soueraigne Neyther can I perceyue them in any vertues to be much inferiour vnto men but if I shoulde not speake partiall rather the authours than followers of wisedome To beginne with Chastitie it is not possible that so pure a mettall shuld be defiled with anye spottes of filthy lust for why they were made after the perfection of man of the soundest parte of hys body Moreouer their owne complexion is cold and therefore commonly they are more temperate and chst modest and patient milde and mercifull most constant and pitifull and for the corruption that ariseth of grosse meates and vnholesome sauoures why they haue by nature a cōtinuall euacuation of all superfluous humoures suche force hathe that whiche is pure to expell the same that is vncleane And what is he that doubtes of the continencie of women but let him remember onely the daughter of Virginius whyche chose rather to be slayne of hir owne father than to hazarde the Castell of hyr chastitie vnto the hote séege of Appius hir fleshly enimie if they be not constante what was Penelope if not patiēt what was Griseld if not pitifull what was Dido excepte you will make them Goddesses for Vertue whyche were in déede by kynde women but you wyll say they wante courage bycause they are gentle by nature a wise reason as though Sainctes themselues are not sometymes displeased or as if the water were not calmest in the déepe and the winde strongeir in the streyghts but dyd not Quéene Thomiris chalenge the combat of Alexander to fighte with him hande to hande whiche he refused was not Pentheseleia before hir in the middest of the battell at the ruinous séege of Troy what was Bellona hir selfe if women were not couragious yes no doubt they are strong and valiante whiche appeareth euen in that stout affection of them
tilled and manured bringeth forthe drye Mosse vnfruitefull wéedes none otherwise the desires and affections of man not grounded on Humilitie by the feare of God followe the lustes of the flesh and proude temptations of Satan whose false delightes at lēgth will presse them downe into the déepe pitte of perdition these bée the daungers least misdoubted in the aduentures of youth whiche in these dayes accompt it an aduantage to be famous in vice and a base mind or cowardly affection to liue by the stricte course and directe rule of vertues whereof héereafter wée shall discourse more at large But nowe must we talke of Humilitie whiche is euen the Lanterne of lighte that guydeth our féete into the way of peace the starre that leadeth vs to the house of true nobilitie and the first steppe of duties that rayseth oure mindes to the worthy déedes of vertue We sée the loftie flying Eagle whose large wings are vnable to exalte the weight of hir body from ground firste humbleth hirselfe wyth lowly stoupes whereby she recouereth greater strength to mount aloft into the Peripheries of the Ayre so must the mind of him that séekes to haue the full reward of Vertue be contente humbly to fulfill the charge of duties and by degrées to climbe the stately steppes of aduancement There bée some that blindly iudge the giftes of Fortune as vayne pompe and fonde pleasures of this world to be the soueraigne goodnesse and chiefe support of felicitie in so muche as this man carefully spendes the whole course of his life for encrease of wealthe another languishing in fonde desires oftentimes by sundrye diseases empayreth his owne health And some are dayly pampred with delicate meates and drowned in the wanton Seas of worldly pleasure And is he therefore happie that is riche no for wealth is subiecte vnto fortune But is he well pleased that hathe pleasure seldome for commonly swéete meate hathe sower sause and pleasaunte mirth is accompanyed with the trayne of lothsome sorrowes And doth he bath in blisse that lusteth in vnlawfull desires or rather offereth himselfe for a sacrifice to be consumed in Hell fires then Fortune maketh rich and poore and Nature giueth health and sicknesse beautie and deformitie but héerein consisteth no felicitie for neyther is he to be accompted riche that is neuer satisfyed nor happie whose stedfast mind in quiet possession of Vertues is not established A most quiet and peaceable estate is felicitie flowing with abundance of pleasures frée from bondage voyde of feare subiect to no maner of misfortune and sooner shall glad pouertie with a contented mind enioy the benefite of such heauenly treasure than all wordly pompe riotous delight whiche by no meanes can insinuate themselues to soiourne in the house of happie state and tranquilitie for this cause the valleys are commōly more fruteful than the Mountaines by reason that lying lowe and shrowded from the scorching heate of the Sunne they receiue more plentifully the droppes of deaw and naturall fatnesse that falleth downe from the tops of the Mountaines But there be found sundry branches of humilitie which spred themselues abrode as it were in defence of the trée that generally conteineth thē all And first receiuing chiefe sap from the roote of humilitie springeth out the true knowledge of duties than the which nothing is more commendable in youth nothing more profitable in a cōmon welth nothing more acceptable vnto God which thing M. Cicero the floure of eloquēt Philosophers full wisely considered when hée wrote those large instructions of Duties wherin ther is no sorts of mē whose expectation on the behalfe he hath not satisfyed for ther is the dutie towards our parēts the loue towardes their children liuely expressed the charge of Princes and obedience of subiects the feare of Magistrates and the execution of lawes and that comprehendeth all in one the most loyal loue and dutiful regard of our Coūtrey the cōmon parēt of vs all is there likewise most manifestly mētioned But we must rather holde with the doctrine of true Philosophie that the feare of God and true seruice of the diuine maiestie conteineth all other duties whiche spring from thence as from the Fountayne of Life as is aforesayde For if all power commeth from God and authoritie from aboue no doubt the Maiestie of a Prince is with al duties of humilitie to be honoured and the authoritie of a Magistrate by no meanes to be resisted We ought not in minde to conceyue an euill thought or sinister opinion of our Prince and gouernour muche lesse then Giantlike to rebell and consequently to make warres with the Gods but we should be like children affected towards their Parentes accompting theyr imperfections our plague their sinne oure shame and their fall our vtter confusion for as that member is nothing profitable but rather hurtfull to the body whiche by corruption is lame and vnperfect so that subiecte whose minde is drawen into sundrye practises of discord working the disquiet of a common peace and tranquility may iustly be cutte off as an vnprofitable part or cancker of a common wealth but whence commeth suche vnnaturall affection as the child to wish the destruction of his parēt wherof riseth such furious rage in the subiect to rebell against his Prince what moueth such desperat madnesse in the Citizē to betray his own natiue Countrey cōmeth it not of Pride couetousnes or enuie and what are these cruel tygres or despitefull mōsters that so vexe the minds of vnhappie men or whēce haue such cursed vices their beginning surely from nature partly which enclineth to the worst nourished by false emulation confirmed with euill custome for as Vergill sayeth Alitur vitium crescitque tegendo Vice is nourished and encreaseth by cloaking Wée must therefore withstand the beginnings of such mischiefs least peraduēture lingring delayes bring vntimely repētāce For sooner is the gréene woūd healed and perfectly closed vp by the Surgeō thā an old griefe which by cōtinuāce is festered in the body can be soundly cured so shal the tender capacities of youth by good gouernemente wholesome instructions bée sooner trained to the perfection of vertue than the malapert affections and obstinate desires of riper yeares from the lewd practice of vice he restreyned according to the Prouerbe That is bredde by the bone will neuer out the flesh And surely the most necessarie practise of good education is with manye other most profitable commodities of the cōmon wealth at this time too lightly regarded And is it not a scornefull thing the a man should teach his Horse the manedge carere or his hanke to fetch the lofty turnes abouehead or hound to follow the suite of a striken Déere and leaue his child in the floure of youth eyther subiect to mischiefs for want of good gouernement or that is worse wasted in the felowship of such vnthrifies as happily shall encourage hym for want of better grace maintenance to
good to forbeare to talke of things néedelesse to be spoken but it is muche better to conceale things daungerous to be tolde And touching the Prince especially with the Péeres and principall rulers it standeth muche vppon to be silent And of all other things impertinent vnto us it behoueth not to be curious and inquisitiue For it is an olde prouerb Quae supra nos nihil ad nos Moreouer if a man be called to the table of hys betters where occasion maye be giuen to speake in anye wise he muste be well aduised what and wherof is the question before he entend to make aunswere neyther muste he be to long in discourse least perhappes they should saye that he loues well to heare himselfe talke nor to curious in reasoning of the truth nor to bolde in defence of an argument least he be noted of impudence and want of discreation but in those pointes chiefely muste he labour to delight by good order obseruing Decorum in these and al other his saying And herein he muste take héede not to muche to accustome his tongue vnto one phrase nor dwell in any one knide of discourse leaste for want of better Musicke he proue an instrument of mirth to the scornefull And yet in this pointe manye cunning Courteours beguyle themselues nowe and then except they take the figure Tautologia for a comely grace which the Rethoriciās were wonte to condemne for a vice And now commes Thraso vaunting himself of his owne déedes of armes and high points of seruice nexte vnto him Thersites the minion powreth out his doubtfull problemes and with amorous discourses wéeneth to be able to insinuate himselfe into the fauoure of the Goddesses themselues And other there be whom no serious cause or waightie matter can remoue from luring of their haukes rayning their horse or folowing their hounds But these such like peraduenture are wel furnished with the giftes of fortune for good cause to supplye the want of discretion Lastly touching the occasion and order of talke it behoueth him much that is conuersant amongst the highest to giue them leaue to choose their owne matter and except it be in a case preiudiciall to none to let them be content with their owne opinion only for duetie sake afording some few words of course for common aunswere neyther must be shewe himselfe ouer manifestly to mislike the master least that should proue a greater offence than somewhat to dissēble And if in discourse of talke it hath hapned any cholerick words to passe as there is none so modest that can alwayes restraine his affections it is good to lappe vp the matter in the end with a curteous farewell at the parting and to giue a gentle conge at the next meeting least peraduenture some malice might therof arise which thou must at all times séeke to auoyde and eschewe like vnto poyson And he that can thus stay his tong and moderate his affections hath a very good furtheraunce no doubt to aduance his estate or at the least to passe his time without troubles Of Modest behauior CHAP. 4. IT hath béene a doubtfull question of long time amongst the learned touchyng the firste cause and originall occasion of Gentrie In so muche as the Poets haue painfully trauelled heretofore by fond authoritie of fayned fables vaine proofe of false arguments to persuade the true coniunctiō of heauenly bodies with the corporall substance of mankind and thereby concluding Gentrie to be the verye ofspring of the Goddes Nor far dissenting from these menne was the opinion of those Ethnike Philosophers which would haue their nobilitie to deriue their pedigrées frō the Sunne from the Moone and manye other celestiall creatures the rather to encrease their high courage and magnanimitie But these vayne sansies of Paganisme are already by the lighte of the Gospell and true Doctrine of Christian religion sufficiently drowned There resteth yet the grosse erroure of the common sorte of people to be refuted whose churlishe opinion hathe supposed onely riches to haue bin the beginning of noble birth and Gentrie for saye they when Adam dolue and Eue did spin then was there no such Gentle kinne and true it is but yet nothing to the purpose For as the goodly frame and beautifull stage of the whole worlde was not in a moment raised all at once but by the inestimable wisedome of God broughte by degrées to suche a wonderfull perfection moste stéedfast continuance So the séede of man from age to age did encrease into multitudes diuiding themselues into sundrie societies and by diuine prouidence at laste taught to finde out and practize the necessarie helpe of ciuil gouernment Hereof commeth the crown of Princely dignities hereof riseth the banner of true nobilitie and from hence are blazed the auntient armes of Gentrie But saye they riches was the cause of their promotions Wealth was the occasion of such worthie calling and by the waighte of their substance it is likely their estate was peazed in the ballance of Estimation And is it likely indéede that the cause should be corrupte of suche an absolute perfection but that is contrary to natural reason for such as is the cause like is the effect or is it possible that suche fauourable helpe of diuine wisedome whych was theyr guyde in establishing that kinde of gouernement should then faile them in the appointing of dignities but it is more probable that the naturall affections of the mind by fréee choice would rather admitte the worthy disposed and vertuous men to take the supremacie and first charge of gouernment And thus muche reason prouoketh me to beléeue But to returne to the purpose If the worthy fame of Vertues alone hathe raised inferiors vppe to the toppe and type of Honour if by valiaunt déeds of armes antiquitie hathe béene aduaunced if vppon suche foundation of manners Gentrie was first grounded howe muche more necessarie is it nowe and euermore that so comely vertues of all men and especiallye of Gentlemen shoulde bée embraced for wilt thou be beloued of all men then thou muste be curteous and despise none wilte thou be praised vse good conditions wilte thou be honored of the people then be loyall to thy Prince and Countrey and finally wilt thou be dutifully obeyed of others then thou muste humbly feare God thy selfe There be many kindes of Vertues which the wisemen haue called Moral and Intellectuall whereof some be common both to the affections of the minde and the outwarde exercise of the bodye suche is truth manhoode right modestie in behauiour curtesie in speache sobrietie bountie chaste life true friendshippe and suche others but the reste as cunning knowlege prudence patience wisedome are subiect only to inward contemplation therfore more heroical and diuine And these are the true séedes settes and sciences whiche in youth ought spéedily to be sowen soundlye planted and moste artificially grafted The Romanes whose estate for politike gouernment far surmounted al other dominions of the worlde
a mastye at a Deare a Greyhounde at a Beare Surely no more fitte and conueniente is it for a man to liue cōtrary to his own natural disposition It is harde to striue against the streame hop againste an hill and spurne againste the prick So the force of nature is inuincible which though she be resisted manye times for good cause yet she will neuer suffer hir self to be vanquyshed and quite ouercome And is it not reason that she which is the Authour of life shoulde giue counsayle in the order and good maintenance of the same should not the mother instruct hir childrē or doth not the opinion of the Iudge beare chiefe credite in the cause yes no doubte and so muche the sooner to be accepted by howe muche the more it séemeth to giue light and chiefe euidence to the truth of the matter but you will say the nature is corrupt therfore not méete to sit in place of iudgement in déed this reason is not light in other matters which séemeth harder to be confuted than maintayned if the consequente be true I coulde wishe it were nowadayes generally practised and approued but in this case I denye that nature of it self is corrupt nor vicious but custome nor hurtefull by anye meanes vnto it selfe and therfore not to be refused and it is manifest that discorde is in all things the authour of mischiefe wée sée that a kingdome diuided wythin it selfe cannot stande much lesse the man that is continuallye vexed with contrarie thoughtes and affections in his actes and operations can prosper Ther be diuerse parts and members of the bodie but the minde guideth them all into one kinde of motion Let vs take for an example that honourable state of mariage whiche by reason séemeth to be the firste steppe of Stabilitie for compassed by leasure and aduisemente it resembleth the ioyes of heauen and rashly enterprised it is equall with the tormentes of Hell it is only the treasure or discommodities prosperity or aduersity the only felicity or vnhappinesse of life wherein truely there is nothing so daungerous as the inequalitie of estates in such a stedfast knot and firme coniunctiō of two bodies for what likelyhood of condition can there be betwéen two of diuerse dispositions or what consent or agréemēt cā be foūd in ij cōtrarie natures whē one shal be lowly and the other lofty one ambitious the other curteous one chast the other incontinent one couetous and the other by nature churlishe And as the Wolfe cannot leaue to be rauenous nor vnthankefull swine learne to be curteous so the haughty Lion is merciful by kind the silly Lamb by nature innocent But we sée there is hard familiaritie betwéene any of these creatures bycause their natures be contrarie and therfore commōly they séeke one anothers destruction And as vnequal oxen can not wel drawe togither in one yoake so the match is marde where the mates are not like disposed and consequētly nothing els prosperous inuita Minerua to say nature not consenting And now to the second point of this deliberation there belongeth a dutiful regard in following the chiefe schoolemastresse experiēce vnto whose discipline instructiō wée haue bin longest accustomed For it is an olde saying Rome was not builded in one daye neither is any serious matter to be attēpted with ouermuche haste nothing is so hardly won which is more easily lost the strong hold or fortresse whose bulwarkes séeme to be inuincible at length with hard perilous aduētures is entred yet perhaps againe by slight policies in a momēt lost and recouered And next vnto Nature hir self Custome chalēgeth a large prerogatiue whiche in processe of time maketh hirselfe almost equall with Nature in force conditiōs For if we cōsider the whole regiment of the world which is by antiquitie of times principally directed in good things we shal find almost nothing in so large an Empire that is no subiect to the rule of custome first the generall fruite and propagation of kinde is by custome naturallye increased maintained by custome Emperours and kings are crowned by custome Knightes and Lordes created and by custome Iustice administred truth exalted dueties regarded Desertes rewarded mighte encouraged and to be shorte all kynde of good vertues easilye attayned and worthyly embraced the seruauntes of custome are these thrée Arte Vse and exercise and as these are by custome specially maintayned so by them al things also are vsually atchieued and from these commeth also experiēce which in any facultie or trade of life is most necessarie and herein appeareth the imperfection of vnskilfull youth whiche being ignoraunte of affaires sometimes enterprise to reach by a superficiall kind of knowledge vnto the practise of high mysteries too far aboue the slight consideration of their gréene capacities and in the ende in rewarde of counterfayte skill and presumption and fained holynesse they receiue the iust punishment of shameful reproch and confusion It is a common prouerb amongst vs he that maries in hast shal repent at leasure indéed a man can not be too chary in that choyce nor too circumspect in electiō of that trade wherein he meanes steadfastlye to run the whole course of his life if we doe entende to win friendship with any man sée howe circumspect we are in finding out his vain how curious in considering his cōditions and how nyce in fauouring his nature but doth it not stand vs more vpon in the maintenance of life to behold our owne properties and conditions for no man is borne wise nor any man can suddainely become happie but euen as in the spring time the naturall sappe and moysture of the trée breaketh out first into the blooming buds frō buds into blossoms and then frō blossoms by little and little into a more harder substance whereby it is better able to withstand the hurtfull blastes and bitter colde vntill at last it softneth agayne by the vertue of the Sunne when it commes to the perfectiō and ripenesse of the fruite so the naturall disposition of mankinde is first moued with affection to séeke knowledge then cunning is desirous to imitate the practise of vertues by the example of others that were famous and thus experience by custome bringeth a man at last to the full perfection of wisedome therefore the regard of cōtinuall experience in the choyse of mans life is most necessary Thirdly it behoueth man to be armed at all assayes against the change of tymes and mutabilitie of fortune for nothing in this life is stadfast permanent no countrey so rich that warres hath not wasted no quiet peace and tranquility so durable that discord hath not dissolued no beautie so diuine which by cloudes of care is not eclipsed no courage so stoute whiche by crooked age is not qualified and lastly no mirth no ioy no pleasure no pastime no loue no lust no kind of commoditie so perfect and permanent whiche is not by sorrowe care troubles enuie wrath mischiefe or misfortune made subiect to some change and alteration so that the minde is only constant whiche is content that man séemeth most happie that is patient as riches health honour alone without singular vertues maketh not fortunate so truth courage equitie bountie suche like without perfect rest and contentation of the mind cannot lay the plot foundation of Stabilitie for can we call hym riche that is couetous or courteous that is proude or noble that is scorneful no more can he be constant that is furious and fantasticall neyther ought any man to estéeme the choise of faculties trades of liuing to be the onely suertie stedfastnesse of life Sith that the giftes of nature and fortune both richlye possessed are not sufficient to the maintenance of felicitie for he is not to be accompted happie that is not absolute and perfecte of him selfe and coueteth more to encrease or feares any thing to be diminished And therefore Solon beyng demaunded of the rich Kyng Craesus what letted him to be called happie answered bicause he was yet alyue meaning that no estate of lyfe is frée from the bondage and yoake of sorrowe for neither Kings nor Princes can assure them selues stedfastly to stande in the good grace and fauour of fortune which by the example of Policrates was manifestly prooued whose estate was long tyme prosperous and so beautifully furnished with health wealth and pleasure that he began to be at defiaunce with fortune hir selfe and dispised the fawning fauour of Neptune that sent him his Kyng againe in the bowels of a Fishe which he had before wilfully caste into the sea being of great price to trye the friendshyppe of fortune But as the Sunne being at the highest must néedes decline by his naturall course againe So the blinde Goddesse whose lookes are like vnto brittle glasse that is not so bryght but it is assoone broken now beganne to shake the chaire of proude Policrates and assoone ouerwhelmed him in the paynes of helf whom shée had before hoysed vp into the ioyes and pleasures of heauen For of a King he became a captiue and of a happie man a most miserable wretche and so died at mischiefe And thus we sée by thys onelye example which maye be matched with innumerable of like sort that no life is certaine none estate stedfast and no cōdition nor any kynde of callyng without continuall cares troubles and aflictions And therfore I conclude that Pacience is the strongest armour of proofe to withstande the spitefull force of inconstant and variable Fortune FINIS Summum bonum Obediētia Pacientia Bias. Socrates Aristotl Hercules Hidaspis Fortitudo Comitas Antisthenes Psal. Poetae Philosophi Modestia Heliod Philautia Diogenes Simile Simile Hercules