dyuers Noble and valiaunt men that left the Court and the great Cities and drewe them to their proper houses more by wil thā by necessity CHAPTER 18. The Authour complayneth with great reason of the yeares that he lost in the Courte CHAPTER 19. The Authour maketh account of the vertues that he lost in the Courte CHAPTER 20. The Authour taketh his leaue of the worlde wyth great eloquence To the right reuerend and worthy Prelate my Lorde VVillyam de Prat bishop of Cleremount Antony Alaygre sendeth greting IT is not many daies past sithens I beyng retyred for a time my good lord into the vilage and there taking the commoditie and pleasure of the faire sweet fieldes a certaine frend of myne sent vnto me a worke in the Castilian tongue of the lord Antony of Gueuera bishop of Mōdouent Chronicler of the Emperour in reading whereof I founde great pleasure and profit The title of the booke is the Dispraising of the Court and the prayse of the life rusticall dedicate vnto the king of Portingall in such sort that the better to keepe and to hold the wise sentence and erudiciōs therein cōteined I employed certain houres after supper to trāslate the same into frēch not thinking amōg mine other simple works euer to put it abrod but after that I had cōmunicate the same with some of my frends that haue knowledge of the Spanish tongue I thought it not good to leaue it in a corner to make it meat for Rats Mise Now for truth the first exēpler was so euil deuided and the leaues so out of order that I gaue charge to the Scriuener that was my nye neighbour to copy thē as who should say to write it faire and in order the which so euil went about it although by ignoraunce he could not ensue the originall yet for to gette a litle money he solde where his pleasure was the copies so vncumly set together that I was sory and repentant that euer I consumed the time to translate it till at the last moued by the persuasion of Annas Regin Vicar general and by Peter Cister your aduocate by them twaine my great frends I thought it better to present to the eyes of all men this euill translated then to suffer lenger those euill exemplers so corrupted to my blame in the handes of those that haue no right iudgement to know from whom the faulte came wherefore my good Lorde vnder your prudent fauor and correction I doe aduenture herein my name fame acording to my knowledge trustyng assuredly that your only name shall suffice to vanquishe and set aside this slaunder the which slaunder as enemie to learned men cease not to withdrawe those that haue good will and mynde to studie I saye this that as mee seemeth it is well worthy that worke of the wyse bishop of Spayne be presented to his semblable or superior in learnyng in Fraunce or rather aboue him knowledge and vertuous maners I will adde to this that the graue sentences and perswasion to vertuous lyfe conteined in thys booke deserue to bee offered to you that are accustomed to vse them after suche sorte that euery man haue playne opinion of you that yee are sent of God to bee protector and patron of vertue troubled and dispised Therefore my singuler good Lorde as one of the chiefest of the best sorte I dedicate to you this my little labour not that I thinke it worthy to come into your handes but for to be a perpetuall witnes that I do owe vnto you my seruice with al reuerence to the which most humbly I recommend me From your Citie of Cleremont this fyrst day of May. Anno. M.D.xlii A dispraise of the life of the Courtier and a commendacion of the life of the husbandman composed in the Castilian toungue by the reuerend father in God the Lord Antony of Gueuera bishop of Mondouent and Chronicler to the Emperour Charles And out of Castilian drawen into Frēch by Anthony Alaygre now out of the Frēch tongue into our maternall language by sir Fraunces Bryant knight one o king Henry the .viii. most honorable chamber The first Chapiter Of certaine Courtiers which ought to complaine of none but of them selues AFter that the noble prince Philip of Macedony had ouerrūne the Atheniens one a time he being at supper amonges certaine of his Philosophers asked them which was the greatest thing in the worlde One of them answered that to hys thinking it was the water because there was more of that onely then of any other thinge vnder the skye The greatest thing in the worlde defined by Philosophers Another said it was the Sunne séeyng his only brightnes doeth suffise to geue light to the yearth to the starres and to the water Another said it was the great hill Olympe whose heigth passeth the cloudes Another sayd it was the most renoumed gyant Athlas on whose sepulcre was builded the fear full mountain Ethna Another said it was Homer that in his life was so muche praised and after his death so muche bewailed that vii great cities made warre amonges themselues for the recouery of his bones to kepe them as a relike The last and most wise Philosopher said that nothing in this world ought to be called great Mans harte is the greatest thinge in the worlde but that hart which estemeth no great thinges O high and noble sentence since there by that it is geuen vs to vnderstande that as touching the riches honor of this world more is the glory of him that settes lyghte by them then hée that hath the cast for to get them Titus Liuius prayseth and neuer ceaseth to praise the good Consull Marcus Curius in the house of whome came Ambassadours of the Sannites for to recouer certaine landes that he had of theirs offering to him for the same plentie of Golde and siluer Hée hauing in hys hande certaine hearbes to put in his potte for his dinner answered them after this sorte ye should haue offered this money to the Capitaynes that disdayne to dresse their owne dinners and not to me that desireth no greater riches then to bee Lord ouer their Lordes Deserued not this Marcus Curius more prayse in setting light those talentes of Golde of the Sannites than the Consell Lucullus for robbing them of Spartes Deserued not the wise Crates more glory for the riches that he cast in to the Sea than the king Nabugodonezer for the treasure that hée robbed from the temple To your Iudgement did not they of the Iles of Bariares deserue more honor agreing not to haue among them neither gould nor siluer than the couetouse Greekes that toke by force and pilled the mines of Spaine was not the hart of the good Emperour Augustus more greate in setting light the Empire than of his vncle Iulius Ceasar that did take possession It is nedefull to haue wisdome experience to order it cunning to set it foorth and fortune to bring it to good
delights of the court how they haue played sworne and stared at their game of their laughinges the companies they haue had with the gētle dames which of them was fayrest best apparelled sometime in secret of those that they haue committed adultery withal And thus as the worlde is new the inuencions are new the playes newe the garments new new speaking new maners New fangled thinges and euery yeare euery moneth yea and euery day and euery houre we see vices so largely delated vertue so diminished that I am ashamed to write it And the true cause is that in the court vertue hath many controllers enemyes Vertue controlled vice vpholden and vice innumerable vpholders and maynteiners For if there be brought into the court one laudable custome it is no sooner come but forthwith it is chased away And on the other parte vice cannot so soone appeare but it is as soone embrased and entertained The sage lawyer Lygurgus did defende expressely by a lawe that the straungers should not know the secrets of his common welth nor that his citezens should meddle much abroad for that purpose as is sayd that in medling with them they should not learne their vices nor their barberous condicions In the tyme when Marcus Portius was Consull An example of a Musitian there came an excellent Musiciā out of Grece into Rome which for because that he put one string more on his harpe then was accustomed to bée played withall he was by the consent of the people banished from Rome hys harp burnt Howbeit in this our time we could wel agrée with Musique wold not passe how many strings the harp had so that mē might agrée stay themselues Plutarch sayeth that he sawe once at Rome a priest of Greece stoned to death in the great place of Campus Marcus because that he did sacrifice to the Goddesse Berecinthe in other maner then they were accustomed to be sacrificed vnto Suetonius that affirmeth that in .iiij. C.lxiiij yeares which was the tyme that the temple Vierges Vastales endured there was neuer founde but iiij euill liuing persons which were Domicia Rhea Albina and Cornelia the which for their offences were openly buryed quycke If at this day one would register the names of such like to be so punished I leaue it to your iudgement whether there should lacke hāgmen to doe execusion Threbelius Publius sayd that the Emperour Aurilianus Quintus toke a great frend of his frō the office of Dictator which was named Rogerius onely because he had daunsed at the wedding of Posteria Auia his nigh neighbor saying Daunsing reproued that the good Iudge shuld not leaue his grauitie vse such wylde and common playes But so it is whatsoeuer this Emperour sayde In our tyme we will geue licence to iudges to remoue their féete as fast as they will Bribery finely reproued so that they holde their handes still It shall make no matter to the poore pleader whether his iudge sing or daunce so that he minister iustice with expedicion Expedition of causes in lawe that the poore man come not oftentimes and geue to muche attendance In thys case it were very good to rayse the Emperor Domitian which as Suetonius writeth made a lawe that whosoeuer prolonged the proces of his clyant more thē one yeare that he should for euer be banished Rome If thys holy lawe had dured to this day there shuld haue béen more banished in Rome and els where then there are now citizens The .xvij. Chapiter ¶ Of diuers noble and valiaunt men that left the court and the great cities and drew them to their proper houses more by will then by necessitie MArcus Crassus a captaine of the Romaines was greatly cōmended and praised for that he was valiaunt in the warre and wise in the busines of hys houshold This is that Crassus that folowed the parcialitie of the Consul Silla against Marius and Iulius Caesar after Dictator It chaunsed on a tyme that by the fortune of the sea the sayd Caesar was prisoner to certaine Pyrates and robbers of the sea and he sayd boldly to two or three of the best of them that kept him fast bound It doeth sayd he gréeue me much not for that I am taken prisoner forasmuch as that is but hazarde of the warre but of the pleasure that myne enemye Crassus will take when he doth heare of the newes The court is vtterly renoūced of Crassus This Crassus was Maister to a Philosopher named Alexandrius that gouerned hym as a father counsailed him as a frende and taught him as a maister And this did he by the space of .xviij. yeres which passed thē he demaunded licence to returne to his countrey And going hys way sayd these words vnto Alexander I aske of thee none other rewarde for my pain nor for my labors in teaching of thée then to graunt that I shal neuer returne to the court agayne and when I am gone that thou wilt neuer wryte vnto me of thine affaires for that I am so wery of beyng a courtier that I will not onely leaue the court but also forget all that euer I sawe or heard in it Denis of Siracuse albeit that hée was a cruel tyrant yet notwithstanding hée was a great frend to the Philosophers and a honorer of wyse men And he said that he tooke much pleasure to heare of the wyse and sage men of Greece but hée beleued thē not because their teachings were wordes without déedes Seuen of the most sagest and best learned of Greece came to Siracuse a Citie where the sayde Denys was resident that is to say Plato Chylo Demophō Diogenes Myrtho Pyllades and Surranus the which medled more of the affaires of Denis then he did of their doctrine Diogenes dwelled a xi yere with him and after returned to his countrey where he beyng and washing of herbes for hys dinner another Philosopher sayd to him If thou haddest not lefte the seruice of Denys thou néedest not now to haue taken the payne to washe thine owne herbes and make them ready for thy dinner To whom Dyogines answered If thou couldest haue beene content to haue washed eaten herbs the needes not at this time to haue béen in the court of Dionisius Cato the censor of whom the names of Cato firste began was estemed for one of the wysest of the Romaynes And he was neuer séene in .lxviii. yeres for so long he liued not once to laugh nor to do anye thing repugnant to his sage grauitye Plutarch sayeth that he was in speking prudent gentle in conuersacion in correcting sharpe and seuere in presentes liberall in eating sober and in that that he promised sure and certayn and in executing iustice irreprehensible Cato forsoke the court to dwell in a village After the age of .lv. yeres hée lefte the court of Rome and withdrewe himself to a litle village nigh to Picene which is now at this presēt ccalled
it fréely without doyng any homage or seruice to any man This I dare say the courtier hath not nor is not in such frée libertie in respecte of such as be of the village forasmuch as of very necessitie my maister the courtier must win the Marshall or Harbengar of the lodging and must receiue at his handes the billet to come to his lodging and that late ynough and wery to his host breake open dores beat downe walles Shamefull shiftes of courtiers disorder houses burne implemeÌ„ts and sometyme beat the good man defyle the wife O how happy is he that hath wherwithal to liue in the village with out troubling both of himself and many sondry places without séeking of so many lodginges without assayes of so many straunge occasions of straunge men without wéeping of any person but is content with a meane estate and is deliuered of all such breakebraines Another benefite of the couÌ„trey is this that the gentleman or burges that there doth inhabite may be one of the chief or chiefest either in bouÌ„tie honor or auctoritie Little worship in the court is great honor in the towne the which happeneth seldome in the court in great cities and townes for there he shall sée other goe before him more trim and more braue and gorgious then he as well in credite as in riches as well in the house as without the house And Iulius Caesar sayd to this purpose that he had rather bée the first in a village then the second in honor in Rome For such men as haue high hartes and mindes and base fortune it should be to them much better to liue in the village with honor then in the court ouerthrowen and abated and out of fauor The difference betwéene the tariyng or abidyng in a litle place and a great place is that in the litle places are founde much people poore and néedy of whom men may take compassion and in the great place many riche men whereby enuy is norished The commodities that come by dwelling in the village Another commoditie in the village is that euery man enioyeth in quiet and peace such as God hath geuen him without to haue such to come to their houses that shall constrayne them to make extraordinary expeÌ„ses or to haue his wife seduced or his daughters defiled The occasions to doo euil be put away by reason that he is occupied in the mainteining of his housholde in trayning of his sonnes chastening of hys seruauntes He liueth confirmed to reason and not to his opinion and liues hopyng to dye not as he that loueth to liue euer In the village We ought to liue as dying thou shalt not care for good lodging nor for looking to thy Horses and Mules nor for the lading of such thinges as they shall cary Thou shalt not heare the crying of pages the plaintes of the stuardes of the house the babling of the Cookes nor thou shalt feare Iudges nor Iustices least they shuld be to sore against thée And that which is much better thou shalt haue no craftie knaues to béeguyle thée nor women to betraye thée Another benefite of the village is this that he shall haue time enough to al thinges that he will do so that the time be well spent time enough to studie time to visite his frendes time to go a hunting and layser when he list to eate his meat the which layser courtiers commonly haue not Courtiers â—â—â—dom leysure to eate their meate for asmuche as they employe the moste part of their time in making of shiftes to playe the courtier or to speake more plainely to wepe and lament in such sorte that one may say of them the which the Emperour Augustus said of a Roman a great busie broker the same day that hée dyed I wonder said he séeyng the tyme failed him to chop and to chaunge how hée could now finde layser to dye Another commoditie of the village is this those that be dwellers there maye goe alone from place to place without to be noted to fall from grauitie they néede no Mule nor Horse with a foote clothe The countrey lyfe requireth â—o great train nor page to wayte of my lorde or damosell to waite vpon my lady And that were scornefull to do in the court alone And without daunger one may walke from neighbor to neighbor and from land to land and not thereby minish any part of his honor Another benefite is The rustique life requireth no suÌ„ptuous aparrell that men may go whether they will clothed simply with a staffe in his hande a swearde by his side or hacbut in his necke and if he be weary of pounsed hosen let h m weare stoppes if he be a colde let him take his furred gowne for all is one there A good gentleman dwelling in the village and hauing a good coate of cloath an honest Spanish cloke on his back a paire of lether shooes goeth as well trimmed to the church as doth my Lord the courtier to the court with his gowne furde with Marters or Sables A man of the village of what sorte soeuer he be is in as good case that rydeth to market or to the faier to make prouisioÌ„ for his householde vpon a mare or a nagge A poore plowman is far better than a rich and honorable extorcioner though he be in the court as a lord of the courte is at Iustes vpon a great courser trapped with golde And when all is sayd better is the poore ploughman on a poore asse liuing as he should then the rich man well horsed pilling and doyng extorcioÌ„ to pore honest men The .vj Chapiter ¶ That in the village the dayes seeme more long and the ayer more clere and better And the houses more easy and restful than in the court ENsuing still the commodities of the village wée ought not to forget that he which dwelles there among other thinges hath commoditie of good corne and consequently good bread contrary to this in the court specially in great townes they haue breade for the most part euil baked or euil leauened or not leauened at all the cause is forasmuch as in the townes ofteÌ„ there lacketh good corne or good corne milles to grinde the corne holsome water whereby often hath come among them great death Another commoditie in the village is this the which I prayse much hée that dwelles there may practise and labour in mo thinges and better imploy the tyme then in the court or in the great townes in which places it behoueth a maÌ„ to disseÌ„ble to say litle to be ful of reuenging enuyous a treader of stones and pauemontes must vse grauitie and seldome to come out of his house and incessantly be graue O half a God that dwelles in the village where liberally one may speake what he wil and iest with his neighbours before his gates and his window And this may hée doe without euer to chaunge or to
léese any of his meane auctoritie Another coÌ„moditie is in the village Health more aboundeth in villages than in great townes courtes that those that dwel there be wtout comparisoÌ„ more healthfull lesse sicke then in the cities and in the court because in the great townes the houses be more high and the streates narower more croked which is the cause that the ayre is corrupt and makes men very euill at ease â–ª In the village the houses staÌ„d more at large the men more better disposed the ayre better the sunne more clere the earth more swéete the priuate goodes or commons better ruled without contencioÌ„ and the exercise more pleasant and the company much better And aboue all thinges the thoughtes lesser and the pastyme more great Young Phisioians and old sicknesses are not in villages Another commoditie in the village is that there are no young Phisicians nor olde sicknes And contrary to this the courtier is constrained there to part his goodes in fower partes the one part to flatterers the other to men of lawe another to Pottecaries the fowerth to the Phisicians O wel fortunate village forasmuch as in thée seldome or neuer is the French pocks named French pocks dwelleth not in the village as it doth in the courte neither the paucy nor yet the goute fewe or none there knoweth what is a Iulep a Pyll a Sirup or a Thysan nor no sodain sickenes What will ye that I shall say more of the village And if it were not but that for necessitie they are compelled to builde there litle pretie houses ye should scant finde one of them that knew what to do with morter and stones And sometime they are very well pleased with cabons made of small stickes well fastened together Another commoditie of the village is that the dayes there séeme to be more long and they are better imployed theÌ„ they are eyther in the court or in the great townes forasmuch as the yeares passe away there or one be ware and the dayes without any enoying of theÌ„ And howbeit that the sportes and pleasures be more in the village then in the townes yet so it is that one day shall séeme lenger there then shall a moneth in the court and the reason is for that the village is happy and fortunate forasmuch as there the Sunne séemes to make a more longer day the morning is ready to show and the night slow to come Tyme spent in the court sodâ—nly vanisheth away Scarcely one can perceiue the dayes slyde away in the court In the village if it be perceiued it is bestowed with honest busines which cannot bee done in the court In the village also is much more plentie of wood then in other places Vittailes and all prouision is more plentious in the villages than in the court hay strawe Otes much better cheape then in good townes Also in the village a man is at libertie to eate his meate where he will when he will with whom he will but in the court they eat late the meat euil dressed colde with out sauor that which is worst of all for the most part he must eate with his enemies where as the good felowes of the village liue at their pleasures and without suspicion keeping their thrée good fashions that belongeth to good repast Three good fashions in the countrey that is first he earneth his meat next that he eateth his meate merely and thyrdly hée eateth with good company Another commoditie is that the husbandman of the village hath how to occupy himselfe and how to be mery which the courtier nor the citizen hath not that hath enemies enough to feare and fewe frendes to companye withall Recreations of the village O recreacion pleasaunt of the village to fishe with nettes and with hookes to catch birdes with lyme to hunt with dogges to catch Conies with Ferrets hayes to shoote in the crosbow and the hacbut at stockdoues at Mallardes at patriges sée folkes labor in the vynes raise diches amend hedges to iest with the auncient laborers All these pleasures haue they of the villages wheras the courtiers and citezens desire it and cannot haue it The .vij. Chapiter ¶ That commonly the inhabitaunts of the villages be more happy then courtiers ANother commoditie of the village is that they doe féele the trauayles lesse on the working day and reioyce merely on the holy day Holidayes neâ—â—â—câ—ed of courtiers where the courtier continually vexed with weightie and troubleous affaires neuer knoweth when it is holiday O village it is not so in thée whereas on the feastfull day the clerke ceaseth not to tolle the bell to make cleane the church to make ready for seruice the people honestlye apparelled the feastes commaunded to bée obserued the curate preacheth the gospel and after dinner they make mery with a thousande honest pastymes In the great townes the holidayes are knowen when the wiues go gay when they sléepe long in the morning True noates of vanitie in Cities and Courtes when they play after dinner and generally when they consume the day in volupteousnes and vanities Another commoditie is this that where the courtiers vse to eate fleshe and corrupt venison wilde foule that is long kept they of the village haue their meate fresh and fresh tender and holsome The dyet of the Countrey and as one may say in good seasoÌ„ that is housedoues Partrige pullettes Stockdoues Woodcockes Fesauntes fatte Capons Conyes Hares and innumerable victayl of all sortes And ouer and besides this to their great aduauntage they haue sheepe that beareth wol to cloath them good mutton to eat dong to make fatte their grounde and Kyddes and Goates also with Oxen to labor in the plough and kyne to milke and make butter chéese and hogges to make bacon of Coltes for to norish and Horses for to serue them and for to sell when néede requireth And another priuelege of the village is this that the good shall be honoured for a good man and the vnthriftie person knowen as he is which is not so in the court The parciallitie of the court for there is no man praysed for that he deserueth to be praised but because he hath auctoritie and riches O how much is the wise man honored in the village for his wisedome and good counsail how many tymes is he thanked and how many presentes hath be The thankefulnes of the husbandman If parcase one of his neighbors haue any good fruit in his garden a good melon a good pear or a good muscadell grape gladlye they will present him therewith as to him that hath deserued it Another preuilege of the village is this that euery man may marrye his daughters to his equalles and neighbours that thereby dayly hee may receiue both pleasure seruice the which the courtiers cannot doe that marry his daughters so farre from them that for the
most parte they lament them or they sée them O happy inhabitor in the village that findes at his gate husbandes for his daughters and wyues for his sonnes He maryeth them nygh to him that he may easly sée his sonnes in lawe The husbandman hath coÌ„fort of his children by their presence his litle nephues and his posteritie he is beloued of theÌ„ succoured in his affaires serued norished in his sicknes great coÌ„fort to him in his age Another commoditie is that they are not to much carefull nor yet ireful or enuious which commoditie they of the court and the citizens litle taste or enioye for the courtier many times lacketh money when his greate affayres shuld be brought to passe I say therfore O happy man of the village that néeds not to goe at ten of the clocke to the palice to beg counsail to speake fayre to the vsher to wait vpoÌ„ the president and make flectamus ienua to the lawyer The courtier croucheth and flattereth for aduantage and flatter the king his counsail and the Magistrate but hath in steade of these Idolatries for a happy solace the benefites of nature the pastimes therof to heare the shéepe blete the Bulles to bray The delights of the couÌ„trey the Horse to neyh the Nitingales to sing the Thrushes to warble the Lynets to mynse their songes dogges to run Lambes to leape Kyddes to gambolde and see the Pekockes set vp their tailes like a whele HeÌ„s to kecle kockes to crow a thousand kynde of beastes and birdes play and sporte Another commoditie is that in the village one may be there more vertuous and lesse vicious then in the courte or in the great cities the reason is for that in great companyes we shall commenly finde a M. that kéepe men from good doyng .x. M. that will moue vs to doe euil And in the village euery man sanctifieth the Sabboth day The Sabbath better hallowed in the countrey thâ—n in the citie keepeth the feastes heareth the sermons by thys meanes with great labor worketh his soule health assisted by grace Wherefore the village is to be praised for that the occasions of euil of our destruction are not so plentiful practised there as they are in the courte and in good townes no cookes houses to make them licorous nor there are no greate estates wherby enuy should arise there is no chopping nor chaunging by vsury Vsury whoredome and other euels nothing so coÌ„meÌ„ in the couÌ„trey as in the Citie whores to quarell and fight for nor courtiers to torney in armure nor waÌ„ton and lewde places to corrupt youth withall nor Iustices to feare them ye and that best of all is no couetousnes which should swalow vp and deuour them Another priuilege there is that their one may well gather some good Prugallitie in the couÌ„trey and prodigallitie in the court spend much lesse then in the court For euery man knowes well what excessiue expences are accustomed to be wasted in the court and specially in these dayes that the great apparelling of bankettes is such that they be well worthy to bee reformed O peaceable peysauÌ„ts which néedes not the tapettes of Flaunders linnen cloath of Holland siluer plate garmentes imbrodered Parcement lace purfilde nor yet cariage Mulettes varlettes to conduct them nor other superfluous attyre but contrary in stéede of that is contented with a litle houshold well ruled with a grosse table a fewe plaine stooles to eate his meate vpon with dishes of Peuter and a mattres for to sléepe on two gownes one for sommer another for winter one gelding in the stable one varlet one chamberer to doe him seruice As much happy is a gentleman and as much honored with his litle company in his house in the village as is a rich Lord in the court with his pride ruffling traine The .viij Chapiter ¶ That in princes courtes the custome and vse is to speake of God and liue after the worlde IN the Court euen as there is no rigorous iustice no father that chastiseth his sonne no frende that correcteth one the other none that loueth his neighbor Libertie to do euil is in the court no bishop nor curate that gouerneth wel his shéepe nor teacheth them after the gospell So he that is by nature good hath great libertie to be naught In the court if one will be an adulterer he shal haue fellowes If he wil be a quareller hée shall haue helpe Fellow furtherers of wickednes in the court and that with such as will drawe their swordes If he be disposed to banqueting euery where hée shall finde gluttons If he wil manifestly shamefully lye he shall finde companions ready that will approue hys lyes If he will steale he shal finde them that wil instruct him many wayes ther to If he will playe there are so many cardes so many dise Cardes and Dise are plentifull in the court that it is shame to see it If one wil be falsly forsworne he shall finde them that will geue money for forswearing Fynally if he wil vtterly geue himself to doe euil in the court he shall sée perfect examples To the court resorteth men of diuers nacions some for busines some to pleade or to serue After what manner strauÌ„gers come acquainted in the court or to shewe theÌ„selues which persons to bring themselues acquainted are forced to folow the seruauntes of suche as be in auctoritie to flatter them and speake fayre to them and to folowe the companyes and felowship of the taberers the Pypers the Musicians the flatterers mery iesters and at the ende become God knowes poore and néedy gentlemen in such wise that by very necessitie they be compelled to demauÌ„d rewardes newyeres giftes and new apparell And yet to these euill felowes they which geue any good thing geue it rather to get theÌ„selues a name to be called full of magnificence then for any charitie at all In the Court fortune is inconstant Fortune is in constant in the court in that shée promiseth and yet more in that which she geueth for at one instaÌ„t where one ryseth another falleth one is borne another dyeth he is auaunced that is vnknowen and the faithfull seruaunt forgotten he that will abyde is not receiued but he that will runne away is taken in fooles are beleued and wisemen belyed opinions be folowed and reason let passe With these things and other semblable thynges that we assaye and see in Courtes of prynces euery manne maye bee assured that fortune wyll knocke at hys doore though for the most part the courtiers finde soner their graue then any good fortune and specially such that vnder colour to be disceÌ„ded of a good house go to the court to bragge Some Courtiers are meter for the cart than for the speare and yet neuerthelesse are so foolishe and ignoraunt that it may be said they are more méete for the
Puzol ther he passed the residue of his years in quiet and rest accompanied onely with his bookes and taking for a singuler recreacion for to go twise or thrise a day to walke in the fayr feilds and the vines and him selfe oft to labor in them And it fortuned on a day whē he was absēt from his house that one wrote with a cole vpō his dore O felix Cato tu solus scis viuere which is to say O happy Cato thou only knowest how to liue Lucullus Consull and capitayn a Romayn right valiaunt brought to an end the warre agaynst the Parthes which had continued by the space of .16 yeres whereby he gat great honour of the citezens of Rome and immortall renoune for him selfe and great riches for his family And it is sayd of him that he only of al the Romaines did enioye peaceablye in his age the ryches that he had wonne in his youth in the warres And after when he came from Asia and sawe that the common welth was in deuision betwixte Marius and Silla he determined to leaue Rome make a house in the countrey nighe to Naples vpon the Sea side now at this present time called the Castle of Lobo which he edified and liued there .xviii. yeres in great tranquilitie His house was haunted with many people specially with greate Capitaynes that wēt into Asia and with Ambassadours that came from Rome which hée receyued very gently benignly One night when his seruauntes had made readye his supper with a lesse dyet thē he was accustomed to haue they excusing them selues that they ordayned the lesse because he had no straungers He said vnto them although sayd hée that there be no straungers with me know not you that Lucullus must suppe with Lucullus Plutarch speaking of this valiaunt mans exercise that he did after he was retired to the place aforesayd sayth that he delited much in hunting hawking but aboue all pleasures he most delited in his Library Reading of good thinges is a vertuous exercise there readyng and disputing incessantly Helius Spertianus sayth that Dioclesian after that hée had gouerned the Empyre xviij yeares forsooke it and went to take his pleasure in the fieldes there in quiet to ende the residue of his lyfe saying that it was tyme for him to leaue the daungerous estates of the court and get hym to a peaceable life in the village Two yeres after he was thēce retyred the Romaines sent vnto him a solemne Ambassade to inuite and desire him effectuously that he would take pitie of the cōmō welth and return promising him that so long as they liued there should none haue the name of Emperour but hée Now whē the Ambassadours ariued at hys house they found him in a litle garden where he was setting of Lettys and Onions And hearing what they sayd vnto him he answered in this wyse Doe you not thinke my frendes that it is much better for him that can sowe his Lettys and afterwarde pleasantly and merely to eate the same so still to exercise him selfe then to returne and enter into the goulfe of troubles in a common welth I haue assayed both I know what it is to commaund in the court and what it is to liue labor in the village wherefore I pray you suffer me here to abide in pacience for I desire rather here to liue with the labor of my handes then in the sorow and cares of an Empyre The laborers lyfe is more to be desired then the lyfe of a prince Note by this example that the life of the laborer is more to be desired then the life of a prince Cleo and Pericles succeded in the ruling of the common welth after Solon a man excelently lerned and wel estéemed and taken among the Grecians for halfe a God by the reason of the wyse lawes he made among the Atheniens These two noble gouernoures were much beloued because that as Plutarch telleth Pericles which xxx yeres had the administracion of the busines and affaires of the cittie was neuer sene to come into any mans house but his own nor yet to sit in anye open place among the common people suche a grauity was in him About the yeres of his age which was lx he went from Athens to a litle village where hee ended the reste of his dayes studying and passing the time in husbandry he had a litle smal gate or wicket in the entring of his house ouer which was written Inueni portū spes fortuna valete That is to saye forasmuch as now and before I haue knowledge of vanity I haue found the port of rest fye of hope and fortune fare well By this example no courtier can say that he leadeth a sure life but onlye that courtier which doth as this wyse captayn did withdraw him selfe Lucius Seneca was as who should saye a right leder to good maners and a instructer to good letters to Nero the sixt Emperour of Rome with whom he taried xxiiii yeres and had great doings of thinges pertayning to the common wealth as wel of priuate causes as otherwise because hee was sage and of great experience And at the last comming to greate age and weryed with the continuall conflictes and busines of the court left the court and went and dwelt in a litle mansion he had nigh to Nolè Cāpana where hee liued after a longe time as witnesseth his bokes De offiicis de Ira de bono viro de aduersa fortuna and other bokes which were to long to reherse At last fortune mans malice did their office Nero commaunded him to be slayne not for that he had committed any cryme worthy to dye or done any thing otherwise then an honest man ought to doe but onely because the lecherous Domicia hated him Note well reader thys example that sometime fortune pursueth him that forsaketh the court aswell as the courtier Scipio the Affrican was so estéemed among the Romaines that in .xxii. yeares whiles that he was in the warres hée neuer lost battail And yet made hée warre in Asia Europ and Affrica and to this neuer committed acte worthy of reproch And yet he wan Affrica put to sacke Carthage brought in bondage Numance ouercame Hanniball and restored Rome weakened and nere destroied by the losse they had at the battail of Cannes And yet for all this beyng of the yeres of .lii. he withdrew him from the courte of Rome to a litle village betwixt Puzoll and Capua where he liued a solitary life and so contēt withal that whiles he taried there a xi yeres space he neuer entred into Rome nor Capua The diuine Plato was borne in Liconia and was norished in Egipt learned in Athens It is read of him that he answered the Ambassadours of Cirene that required of him lawes to gouerne themselues in sure peace in this wise Difficilimum est homines amplissima fortuna ditatos legibus cōtinere Which is to vnderstand that it is
A looking Glasse for the Court. Composed in the Castilian tongue by the Lorde Anthony of Gueuarra Bishop of Mondouent and Cronicler to the Emperour Charles And out of â—astilian drawne into Frenche by Anthony Alaygre And out of the French tongue into Englishe by Sir Fraunces Briant Knight one of the priuy Chamber in the raygne of K. Henry the eyght And now newly printed corrected and set forth wyth sundry apt notes in the margent by T. Tymme Minister ¶ Imprinted at London for William Norton An. 1575. nor w ¶ To the Right honorable Iohn Lord Russell sonne and heire apparant to the right Noble Fraunces Earle of Bedforde one of the Queenes Maiesties priuie Counsaile and Knight of the most honorable order of the Garter THe recommending of this learned and pleasaunt Treatise the more generally to haue it perused right Honorable is the cause why I haue dedicated the same to your Honour For it being warranted vnder your protection in whome such vertues haue their seate that in you is expressed the right paterne of true Nobilitie can not but carry great credit though the matter of it selfe shoulde lesse deserue the same It nothing doth dismaye me for that I being vnknowne to your Honour haue thus farre presumed neyther may this seeme any rashe attempt for that cause For such is the alluring force of vertue that shee constrayneth vs to beare singular loue and affection not only to our owne Countreymen by vew of face vnknowne but also to Aliants which by Lande and Sea are farre seuered from vs. Wherefore I being caught with the commendation of your Noble heart furnished with vertue generally noysed coulde not but take courage to present this Pamphlet vnto your Honours hands as a most meete Patron for the same In the which you shall finde pleasaunt matter concerning the disprayse of the Court and the commendation of the Rusticall lyfe being eloquently pende by that Reuerende Father in God the Lorde Anthony of Gueuarra a man of great learning and grauitie whose name may sufficiently warrant the worke to be handled with great discretion last and least my willing traueyle to reuiue the same lying as dead and by tyme wornâ—â—lmost cleane awaye Therefore accept my good will Ryght Honourable and if opportunitie shall serue hereafter there shall greater thinges appeare vnder your Honours name For this tyme not to trouble your Honour with longer speache I take my leaue recommending my poore payns as the needie Wydowes Myte to your Honourable courtesie Mar. 12.42 and courtuouse acceptaunce beseeching Almightie God to giue you increase of Honour and to blesse you and your most Noble and vertuous Lady that she may enioye to hyr comfort and yours that long desired and blessed fruite and with Anna the Mother of Samuel 1. Sam. 2.1 ioyfully prayse God for the same Your Honours most humble Thomas Tymme To the Reader IF high estate and Noble byrth Adournde with learnings lore Deserue high commendacion And merit prayse therefore If pearles of greatest pryce deserue Of ryght in fynest golde To be coutched and enamelde For all men to beholde If wysedome or authoritie If knowledge credit fame If haultie courage courtlie grace And myldenesse with the same May gyue to booke a countenaunce Or make it more regarded I say vnto this booke there ought Lyke prayse to be awarded Whose Authour Dan Gueuarra hight A Phoenix of our age To Charles the fyfth late Emperour A Counsayler full sage And Preacher eke the same and eke A Cronicler of Actes Who coulde by sounde of clanging trumpe Emblazon out his factes Who many workes to vs hath left For which we better fare Dyrecting vs to vertue and Of vices to beware Acquaynted well with courtly guyse In Kaisers fauour hygh Yet verdict gyues that Countrey lyfe Surmounth it farre and nygh Whose pithie reasons fyled speache And sugred woordes dyd moue A worthy Knyght of English Court Whome Henry Kyng dyd loue Fyrst to translate from forrayne phrase Into our mother tonge Inuesting it with English roabe As good for olde and yonge For pleasure and for profite both To recreate the mynde And reaping thence commoditie Ease for themselues to fynde One not vnlyke to Xenophon Whose shape his Countrey men Set vp with sworde in ryght hande claspt In left a wryting pen. In lyke sorte lyude this worthy knyght In marshall feates well tryde With Launce Speare Targe in tyme of peace His penne good workes descryde Whose worthy paynes and learned pennes I doe commende to thee Whose vertues bryghtly shyne and neede Not to be praysde by mee That Myte of labour which my selfe Therein bestowed haue In gentle sorte accept for more I neyther seeke ne craue And ioyne with me in prayer fyrme For health long lyfe and raygne Of our most noble Queene that shee On earth may long remayne To guyde the sterne of Christian barge With Oares of sacred lore And afterwarde to raygne with Christ In blysse for euermore FINIS T. T. ¶ A Table contayning briefly the summe of euery Chapter CHAPTER 1. OF certaine Courtyers which ought to complayne of none but of themselues CHAPTER 2. That none ought to counsayle another to go to the Court nor when he is there to come from it but euery man to choose the life that liketh him best CHAPTER 3. That a Courtyer ought to leaue the Court for not being in fauour but being out of it already that he ought not to seeke entertainement there againe that he maye be more vertuous CHAPTER 4. Of the lyfe that the Courtyer ought to leade after that he hath left the Court. CHAPTER 5. That the Rusticall lyfe is more quiet and restfull and more beneficiall than that of the Courte CHAPTER 6. That in the Village the dayes séeme more longe and the ayer more cleare and the houses more restfull than in the Courte CHAPTER 7. That commonly the Inhabitants of the Villages be more happy than Courtyers CHAPTER 8. That in Prnices Courtes the custome and vse is to speake of God and lyue after the worlde CHAPTER 9. In the Court fewe amende but many wax woorse CHAPTER 10. That a man cannot lyue in the Court without he trouble himselfe or some other CHAPTER 11. That in the Courte those that be graue are praised and well estéemed and the other that doe the contrary not regarded CHAPTER 12. That in the Court of Princes all say we wyll doe it but they doe it not CHAPTER 13. That there is a small number of them that be good in the Courte and a great number of good in the common wealth CHAPTER 14. Of many affaires in the Court and that there be better husbandmen than coÌ„monly is of courtiers CHAPTER 15. That amonge Courtyers is neyther kept amitye nor faithfulnesse and how much the Court is full of traueyle of enuy and rancor CHAPTER 16. By howe muche the common wealthes and the Courtes of the time past were more perfite thaÌ„ the Courtes of the time present CHAPTER 17. Of