whiche burneth in desire of soueraintie And lastly for wisdome is it like that Pallas would instruct mē and spitefully withdraw frō hir owne sexe the worthy gift of vnderstanding no but it is manifest that she hath adopted them for hir only heires of such a right bountiful patrimonie which benefit men haue rather receiued at their hands than foūd out by their owne industries For it is thoughte that the Latines firste learned their leters of Nicostrata Pithagoras was supposed to be the desciple of hys sister Theoclea Pericles the Duke of Athens was instructed in learning by Aspatia Suche and absolute perfection of vertue and so rare a figure of diuine beautie is both fixed and fashioned in the noble mind and comely proportion of women that who can mistrust any lothsome qualities to lurke vnder the couerte shadowes of such comelinesse but those which haue by experience vnhappily found the same to be manifest But oh blind goddesse Fortune or cursed furie Fate with what tearmes shall I enter into thy disprayse with what voyce shall I sound thy dishonour or by what force shall I confound thy gouernement thou that vnequally diuidest thy goodes thou that partially bestowest thy giftes and thou that disdeynefully rewardest thy subiectes why diddest thou not indifferently impart riches vnto men that none should be disdeyned or vniuersally bestowe vertues on women that none mighte be condemned bycause thou wilt say the last was not in my power and the firste was not conueniente But is it nature then that hathe thus scornefully abused hir creatures to rayse vp one vnto the seate of honourable fame and to foyle a thousand with the reproche of shamefull follie Surely it were an vniust parte of a mother that had manye daughters to make one of them hir Mistresse and all the rest hir seruantes And it were vnnaturall in a Nursse in stead of Milke to giue hir children poyson But Nature is the mother of mankinde and teacheth to maynteyne the commodities of life she is oure Nursse and therefore wisheth the health of hir children No it is euen oure selues that are corrupte and imperfect it is menne that are abused by women and it is women that are the cause of all mischiefe Examine histories whyche are the light of truth euen from the begynning of the worlde vntill thys day and you shall finde no griefe no sorrowe no deathe no danger no warres no wast no fiers no destruction no woes no lamenting no deceypt falsehode discorde no not anye other inconuenience whereof a woman hath not bin some part of the occasion Was not Eue the cause of Originall Sinne than the whyche to mankynde what coulde happen more pernicious thys one singular example of moste auntiente authoritie myghte serue to daunte the pryde and coole the vauntyng bragges of wicked and licentious women for as they beganne with persuasions of false delyghte so they continue wyth dissembling practise and ende commonly wyth horrible shamefull mischiefe Theyr begynning I call the floures of youth whyche age is fyrste subiecte to the manye assaultes of loue wherein howe maydenly they behaue themselues in the mayntenance of Virginitie nay howe Syrenelyke they shewe themselues in the Shipwracke of theyr modestie it is wonderfull And firste she learnes to set hir eies fixed with the stars in signe of stabilitie hir eares are vigilāt to heare hir self praised hir tong is taught to be silente in token of modestie hyr countenance is milde hir spéech short and swéete and lastly hir liuely lookes of sober chéere but yet amiable She is bashfull therefore sittes most comely beneath at the dore or else aboue somewhat more modestly in a windowe where she sings sometimes for sorow she sighes perhaps for delighte she sowes for a fashion shée playes to remoue fansies she mournes for want of company And whē she cōmes to be moued with playne tearmes of mariage good God what nicenesse she wyll vse how coy she will become and what a countenance of virginitie she will borow to set forth the matter for then they will all be Nunnes they will neuer marrie nor knowe what a man meanes so long as they liue whereas they meane nothing so muche as the contrarye but lette them be courted after another sorte and as you would saye proffer them the common courtesie it is not so soone offered as willingly enterteyned for when they know the depth of his deuotion they sound his affection by their owne desire they suppose he will be quickly lost if not lightely loued and thus they féede some wyth lookes and other with loue some wyth wordes and other with workes some with sporte and other with spite some with pleasure some with payne some with fauoure some with disdeyne some with losse some with gayne that I thinke their insatiable desire would haue as many supplyes as they haue sleightes of alluring And these are the slighte practises of yong women whome when riper yeares and alteration of estate hath well grounded in the perfection of their science then they begin to procéede in high degrées of falsehoode By this time vse hath made them experte and impudence hath giuen thē vtterance of déepe dissembling flatterie but now they haue a cloke for the rayne and why shoulde they bée bashfull before they masked in the close visordes of virginitie but nowe they daunce with the figure a Saincte in their hande and the image of Diuels in theyr heart before they were onely molested with the tyrannie of loue but nowe they are vexed with hate pressed with pryde poysoned with disdeyne haunted with iealousie and plagued with suspition and the least of them all if it lay in their power is as muche as a mans lyfe is worth for the nature of them all is in extreames in so muche that eyther they loue affectionately whiche is seldome or else they hate deadly whyche is common they are too proude or too sluttishe too fonde or too frowarde too pleasaunte or too péeuishe too muche fawning or too scornefull too much familiar or too strāge too shéepishe or too shrewishe too apish or too lumpishe so that all their affections are without meane and theyr passions without measure as soone surprised in delight as soone confounded with sorrow soone quickned with hope and as soone drowned in despayre soone wéeping soone laughing and accordyng to the Prouerb Soone ripe soone rotten And seldome seene is soone forgotten They are Lawlesse for they choose whome they like and refuse when they list but yet they are conscionable for they woulde haue all thinges in common So they are liberall but it is of other mens goodes they are pitifull bycause they would haue no man wāt that which they desire they are courteous bycause they would be courted Mantuan likeneth thē to a Northeast winde whiche beareth off cloudes at the first puffe and drawes them back again with a false encoūtring blast So womē whē they perceiue the deuotiō of mē to be cold or
séeke his owne fathers destructiō But the consideration of this the worthy benefites of learning I leaue to their priuate iudgemēt which know the manifest differēce of good euil And returning to the purpose I say that obedience as in all ages estates it is necessary so in youth it ought chiefly to be plāted principally grafted Next vnto this ariseth the brāch of patiēce wherin cōsisteth the chiefe trial of wisdome And a stoute vertue is this that vanquisheth the swelling rage of wrath and resisteth the inuincible force of nature Bias the wise man being demanded what man was to be thought most infortunate answered euen he that is most impatient adding there vnto this reason that not the losse of goodes or change of fortune could so much prostrate a mans life as the vnquiet acceptance of such vnhappie chance doth molest and greeuously disturbe the tranquilitie of the mind the present remedie for such uncōfortable mischiefs is only patience the ouerwhelmeth heapes of sorrowes with hope of succeding pleasure the indifferētly susteineth the profits of peace and bitter stormes of war patience is the shield of intollerable wrongs that lighteneth the burthen of aduersitie seasoneth the ioyes of prosperitie the comfortable medicine of sicknesse the most wholsome preseruatiue of health What caused the Philosopher Socrates a mā of meane birth to be pronounced the only wise man of the whole world by the deuine Oracles of Apollo but patience what raysed the worthy renoume of Q. Griseld whose fame is registred in the court of euerlasting memorie but patiēce finally what stormes of strife what chāce of fortune or what force of mischiefe doth not the same patience ouercome for this cause wer the sage Philosophers wont to be receiued highly estéemed in the Courts of Princes that by the example of their modesty the noble Péeres rulers of the land might be the better instructed of indifference in the execution of iustice for according to the opinion of Aristotle vnworthily to him is the charge of authoritie committed that is vnable to restreyne gouerne his owne priuate affections Then if patience in a Prince be comely and in a Magistrate also necessarie howe muche more ought it of all good subiects dutifully to be embraced for as the vertue of a Prince is the chiefest authoritie of the magistrate so are the good conditions of rulers the best stay and strongest defence of inferioures And thus muche I woulde wishe to be generally perswaded vnto youth that as patience is the porter of prefermente so that all wrathfull and rashe reuenge is the ringleader of mischiefe and authoure of destruction But héere some will say perhappes what doctrine is thys that so confoundeth hygh courage what a cowardly minde hathe he that so debaceth manhoode can it stand with the courage of Achilles to forbeare or with the maiestie of Caesar to take wrong yea Sir and by youre leaue be it spoken howe muche the more noble is the minde so muche lesse is the reuenge of priuate wrongs by hymselfe estéemed and for thys cause that if the wrong consist in words be misdoubteth not his good fame and credite sufficiente to disproue and confounde the weake strength of false reportes but if prouoked wyth vniust déedes to séeke reuenge of iniuries It appeaseth the wrath of a noble conqueroure more to bée able to punishe than it contenteth hym vtterlye to destroy Was it agaynste the courage of Hercules that hée restored Priamus vnto the Sceptre and possessions of his father Laomedon was it againste the honour of King Hidaspis that he pardoned the false traytor Oroondates was it againste the maiestie manhoode of Alexāder that he refused the vnequall chalenge of Quéene Thomyris no but rather a speciall signe of heroicall magnamitie to despise light wrongs and nothing to regard such meane aduentures wherevnto this Prouerb may be applyed Aquila non capit muscas the loftie fierce Eagle prayes not on sillie Flyes But I meane not here to praise Thersites in stead of Aiax nor Aiax is to be preferred before Vlisses for it is not ynough for a man to be bolde without witte nor strong withoute wisdome but vnto whome those vertues are indifferently graunted he hathe in my iudgemente an absolute force and perfection of manhode Again there be diuers kinds of sufferance for as the execution of iustice and wrongfull persecution are not equal so constreyned sufferance and humble patience are not alike The patience of good Calisthenes the Philosopher enduring the cruell tormentes deuised by the tyrannie of Alexander was wonderfull but the desperate boldnesse or rather obstinate stubbernesse of Quéene Olimpias at hir death was not alike nor by anye meanes commendable Thus we sée that patience is the armour of righteousnesse agaynste whiche not the bitter stormes of aduersitie not the furious rage of tirannie no not the cruell passions of death it selfe can take place or any thing preuayle The last branche of Humilitie outwardly shewing the fruites of vertues humbleth it selfe in the face of all men and beares the floures of courtesie And truth it is that suche as is the trée like is the fruite for neyther cā we gather Figges of thornes nor Grapes of thistles This Vertue as in all places amongst all sortes it is commendable so in the Pallace of a Prince which is the Nursse of Fame and Theatre of Vertues it ought chiefely to bée fostered and dayly practised So agréeable to the nature of mankinde is thys gentle affection that by the consente of sage men it hathe bin called Humanitie and since by the friendlye corruption of the common sorte as I gesse from the Courte it nowe taketh the name of courtesie but wée wyll not stande so muche vppon the name as the perfecte vse héereof although in déede of late amongst oure Englishe Poets hathe risen a doubtefull controuersie as touchyng the true christening of thys Vertue in so muche as some call it a bastarde courtesie or in playne tearmes dissemblyng flatterie that couertly taketh possession of mens myndes in the Courtes of Princes nowe adayes but as these haue theyr priuiledge to speake what they liste so I doubte not but manye of the other haue a protection of selfe wyll to doe what they lyke best These menne maye bée resembled to the Philosopher Antisthenes who walked on a tyme in the common place at Athens amongst the Nobilitie verie muche dysguised in apparell wearing Ragges in stedde of Robes meanyng thereby couertlye to steale the name of Humilitie for that hée was otherwyse of good abilitie and reputation wellknowen But Socrates so soone as hée peceyued hym in that place thus attyred cryed aloude Beholde a man maye sée the secrete ambition of Antisthenes euen through the holes of his cloke whome presentlye the people all behelde with scornefull derision And thus was the déepe dissimulation of Antisthenes discouered by the readie witte and sharp rebuke
a towarde youth is vndone his preferment farre of and here by his folly hath a very good furtheraunce For suche as they are suche shall hée be both for conuersation of lyfe and estimation To auoyde suche mischiefe therefore I woulde counsayle him at the first to frequent the company of suche as are modest and wyse to séeke the felowshyp of those that are learned and so by litle and little to insinuate hym selfe into the countenaunce of the best whose estate is stedfastlye grounded on the rocke of Princely fauour neyther must he bluntlye at the first be roundyng with olde Courteours whiche wyll not rashelye admytte younge babes into theyr bosomes but content hym selfe wyth the companye of the inferiours whose fellowshyp is commendable Some are of greater experience by reason of continuall affayres other haue traueyled to learne the languages and manners of straunge countreys some at home doe studie pleasaunt hystoryes and haue a goodlye gyfte of eloquence and other by byrth are not onelye Noble but in conuersation of lyfe and countenance very comely with such men ought he first to acquainte him selfe for these and suche lyke excelling the common sort are best worthy to be estéemed not that the rest of meaner wittes should be reiected but that the best ought chiefly to be folowed And as one Swallow brings not in sommer as it is in the prouerbe so the strength of one onely vertue is not sufficient to knytte the stedfast knot of true friendshyp nor one good condition inough to seale the perfect bandes of amitie but the lykenes of mindes and similitudes of maners for the most part maketh true friendes but to what ende is this shall we make a friende of euery slight companion No sir but herein is the difference expressed betwéene societie and friendship namely that this requireth present shewes of familiaritie but the other by longer tract of tyme is grounded and by chaunge of fortune best tryed and made manifest And in choice of felowship he that féedes his eyes with outward shows of brauery more thā his mynd is fixed in the cōtemplation of inward beautie may chaunce while others clime the steps of worthye Fame so shrewd himself in the darke shadowes of reproch for Al is not golde that glysters but sometimes vnder the lookes of loue lurketh the cruel plague of despight vnder the floures of swéete fauour lyes hidde the Serpent of deadly displeasure In trust is treason and to conclude in felowship oftimes is found moste wicked and deceitefull falseshood Of Talke and communication CHAP. 3. SPeach is a comfortable gift amongst all other creatures graunted by the prouidence of God only vnto mankind whereby we are taught to vnderstande the meaning of good and euil For the tong is an interpreter of the mind and according to the opinion of some Philosophers it is the greatest difference betweene vs and vnreasonable creatures that we excel them in talke and communication Socrates had a child of noble birth brought vnto him by gentle instruction to be imboldned for he was of nature bashful vnto whom sayde Socrates euen at his first comming speake child that I may know thée meaning that speache discouereth the good or ill conditions of the minde But if Socrates himself were aliue in these dayes he might perhaps by that plains principle be very cunningly deceyued for why the times alas are chaunged and with the times the maners of men are altered their hartes are hardened with vntruth theyr affections grounded on falseshood and their smoth tongs are filed with swéete phrases of dissembling flatterie Where is that mā to be founde whose wordes and déedes are indifferent where doeth he liue whose friendship is faithful nay rather who liues that doeth not learne to be disloyall and what is the cause of such and so great mischiefes sure the abuse and vile disordering of sundry good giftes of god Let vs consider for example that especiall gift swéete abounding knowledge of eloquence which hath bene heretofore by the learned touching the reconciliatiō of princes and true establishing of peace worthyly employed and nowe it is in the brewing of discorde and mouing of hateful warres most wickedly practised It hath bene heretofore in deuising holesome Lawes for the maintenaunce of a common wealth seriously applyed and now it is in defesaunce of right too commonlye set abroche It hath bene heretofore in the praise of vertues exercise plentifully bestowed and now it is in the maintenaunce of vice and cunning enticementes of follie I loth to speake to shamefullye scornefullye and too licentiously abused What feare to speake truely what libertye to lye falsely what shame to talke wyselye what prayse to speake fondely what paine to bée plaine what pleasure to dissemble finallye what slouth to commende and what haste and diligence to slaunder is now commōly practised amongst men that euen to liue is nothing else but to dissemble And herein the secrete prouidence of God is wonderfull whyche vnto euerye good gifte hath added some inconuenience bicause we should not be surprised with pompe of pride of anye time We sée the brighte sunne beames whiche giueth gladsome lighte ouer all the world and yet scortcheth the gréen grasse and is hurtfull still to beholde likewise the swéete floure yéeldes honny to the prettye Bée and giues poyson to the lothsome spyder none otherwise is it with vs touching necessarie vse of the tong which vnto some beyng wel vsed and discretely gouerned is the cause of highe prefermente and to others lewdely practised and licentiouslye abused it is verily the sharpe instrument of mischiefe And it were better for a man openly to be hurte with swordes than secretely to be woūded with euil words There be many vertues expressed in discrete talke and wyse communication but amongest them al there is none that commendeth a Courtier so much as the carefull héede he taketh in the praise or dispraise of any mā for neyther is a friend in the Court hastily to be commended nor an open enimye secretely to be slaundered And as I woulde wishe all men busilye to prayse none so I woulde haue no man bitterly to backbyte any It is the duetie of a Magistrate to enter into iudgement of manners and not the part of a priuate subiecte to note anye man with opprobrious words for his euill behauiour not that vice is not in al places and at all times to be detested but that faultes and offences by eche man are not to be reproued for of little medling commeth greate roste and of licentious talke oft times ensueth much vnquietnesse And sith the best mā in some thing may deserue blame it is moste requisite that one man should bear with anothers imperfections and rather charitablye to admonishe than maliciouslye to reproue another mans offēce The next Vertue that bringeth infinite commodities vnto the well disposed minde is in concealing of secrets I mean such counsayles in any respect as are committed of trust vnto any man It is
are vncertayne yet the dysprofites are infinite And first touchyng the Fame and creadyte of a man whyche amongest the vertuous is estéemed equall wyth lyfe It is a verye harde matter inordinatly to followe the deceyptfull practise of this coosenyng skyll or skilfull coosenage without the shamefull marke of reproche or badge of open infamye For besides that many times hée is constrayned to disappoynt hys especiall good friendes of sundrye dayes of paiment he shall be forced to make suche shiftes of descant and hard supplies to vnderprop and bolster his base estate that at the yeares ende he shal be driuen to fly not for feare of his enemyes but least hée be pursued of his best friendes and to shroud hym selfe in corners farre from the sight of the scornefull And is it not a scornfull thyng in déede that the absence of friendes shoulde be desired and not their moste comfortable presence embraced O moste miserable estate where friendes are feared and enemyes nothyng mystrusted And howe farre from punyshement can hée be whose countenaunce bewraieth hym selfe guiltie how farre from iudgement whose cōscience accuseth him and how frée from imprisonmēt can he be which is in euery mās debt danger And thus is the fame good name of euerye man no sooner in question than when he is knowen to be a common gamester Then then folowes the riotous effusion of hys goodes and landes whiche is euen as lamentable None otherwise than as in the shipwracke of a common wealth or cruel spoile of a whole coūtry where all things come to a most miserable and ruinous decay euen so with these men downe with woodes downe with auncient buildyngs downe with stately Towers downe with Princely halles And if it were in theyr power or possession whole stréetes Temples townes Cities and all should goe downe euen flatte to the grounde Why should Pate be vnpauned and the owner lyke to be imprisoned Why should lands lye vnsolde and the Lorde lacke his libertie A course exchaunge of Plate for penurie and a shreude losse of landes and libertie But will ye knowe why Castles and Towers Cities and townes halles and houses landes goodes trées and all goe to wracke Surely bicause the Lorde is an vnthrift And why be there nowe suche intrusions why suche wrongfull possessors why be rentes rackt without offence why be tenaunts punisht without cause why such pounding why suche pylling why such strayning such deteyning such driuyng such vnlawfull thryuing such catching suche snatching suche coosoning with quicke spéede and suche falshood nowe adayes in worde and déede mary sir bycause the Lord himselfe hath néede Oh lucklesse Lorde with suche calamities molested and alas poore Tenaunts with such a thriftlesse landlord oppressed were it not farre better to be the Tenaunt of libertie than Landlorde of thrall the seruaunte of thrift than to be called Matter Makeshift and the scholler of Wisdome than the slaue of Folly Is it not vaine to followe suche a thriftlesse vaine that brings manye a welthy man to the Wallet or is it not absurde for childishe pastimes to forsake so many goodly commodities or to be ledde by fond affections of youth and léese the liberties of life For besides these greate losses of lande and liuing perhappes in the ende he looseth and destroyeth himselfe what with reare banquets and more tothesome thā holesome iunkets what with vntimely féeding and insatiable quaffing long stāding vnholesome sitting night walkyng and inordinate watching he so muche distempereth himselfe that of a most cleare complexion and healthfull bodie he wyll in shorte space be chaunged into a pale ghoste haunted with greate sicknesse and poysoned with lothsome foule diseases This causeth the colde reumes ascending vppe into his carelesse heade to impaire the noble gifte of memorie this dryueth downe the painefull goute into his féete which griefe almost incurable depriues him of libertie and this likewise bréedes the lothsome dropsie than the which nothing is more pernicious and to be shorte what other foule diseases or any grieuous maladies doeth not this disorder bréede nourish and maintaine but yet they wyl say what sir are we not yong and lustie and whye shoulde we then feare suche annoyaunce as is more commonly subiect vnto age doth the nicenesse of women become vs or shoulde we be curious in diet like vnto Ladies no it hardneth vs to watche and faste againste we beare armour in the fielde nay but by your leaue vsing suche intemperance and disorder you may chāce sooner to become a criple at Sainte Barthelmewes in the spittle than a souldiour with Saint George in the fielde neyther is it womanly softnesse to auoyd sicknesse nor wanton diet to séeke the meanes to preserue health But it is plaine follye to shorten the life by disorder whiche by temperance and modestie might better be cherished and maintayned From hence commes likewise such swearing such blaspheming such fretting such fuming such brawling suche blading that oftentimes their solace is turned into sin their gaine into griefe and their pastimes into mischiefe But oh ye witlesse folke or wilfull youth howe long shall these selfe-wrongs oppresse you howe long wil you forsake true libertie and séeke to be coupled in the straight yoake of bondage for it is not fréedome to bée licentious nor libertye to lyue Idle if you loue sporte is it not thereby to delight but howe can that be pleasaunt that is hurtefull if thou séeke pleasure is it not profitable vnto life and why doe you then runne headlong vnto mischiefe but rather learne of Nature that life is moste swéet and remember the Poet Palengenius that saith death cā by no meanes come too late But to late cōmes had I wist walking in solitarie places shunning the companie of his familiars and reasoning wyth himselfe like a man distraught out of hys sēses with what a wretch am I that haue thus rigorously wasted my goods impayred my good health and hardly escaped the foule daunger and losse of life why dyd I not erste restraine suche fansies and why do I not yet follow the perswasions of good counsayl but alas late witte and vnfruitfull Wisdome are the nexte neyghbours vnto folly And perhappes while he is thus layde on his carefull bedde complayning to himselfe of his losse the rest of his play-fellowes haue friendly diuided the spoyle and by this time huffing scoffing and quarelling in streates amongst the rest of their ruffianly companions Is this a life or rather death nay not so good for death is the only ende of suche mischiefe then is it a most wretched life that is neuer frée from troubles Therfore as the exercise of Chiualrye is profitable to the common wealthe the practises of strēgth and actiuitie holesome for the bodye and the vse of Dice Cards and other disportes good to recreate the minde So the immoderate abuse of them all is not commendable but hurtefull and pernicious and therefore of all degrées and sortes of people necessarye to bée refrayned and warelye