with diuine excellency as the minde The other is yoked to the body as apâ—etite or desier and anger The higher â—s a receauer of Reason The lower is â—gnorant it is hir parte to rule and it â—elonges vnto this to obey But this oftentimes as an Horse waryng fierse not regarding the will of the Carter is whirled with a violent brayde vnto those thinges which him liketh whether they be honest or filthy yeldyng a deafe eare to reason and not hearyng the mynde and intelligence whiche is a copartner of those knowledges whiche by nature are planted in vs or rather ingendred of God and at all times incourageth vnto honest mattiers whether they be pleasant or lamentable For there is a triple good Honest profitable and pleasaunt Honest is which agreeth with the streight sentence of Reason Profitable is which succoureth nature and lyfe Pleasaunt is which deliteth naturall appetite as the drynke the thyrsty And out of these Fountaynes procede all actions It is the duety of the minde and Intelligence to determyne but to the other parte it belongeth to execute the commaundement of the minde and to labour The minde hath two principall Intelligences entalied of nature the one of debatinge truth and falshoode the other of discerning good and euill For al men through a certaine secret sence do discerne what thinges are iust and wrongfull so that this light of nature be not pesterd for nature hath geueÌ„ to vs as it were litle sparkes and seedes and a certayne procliuitie of minde and facultie to labour This affection doth stirre Operacion succeedeth the affection and by often operacions there is gotten a perfectnes either of vertue if it be trayned vnto a â—ood end or els of vice if vnto an euill â—nd this is the grounde of all humaine â—ctions Of Affections Cap. iij. SIth perdie euery fourme of vertues and vices doth spring as it were out â—f these Fountaines hability affection operation and perfection we wil compendiously manifest these And certes those few things which are said concerning faculty shall suffice And let that difference be obserued betwixt the natiue readines of the minde the braide or affection of this procliuity As choler doth moue the nature of an ireful man so dooth the coueting of glory force the couetous of honour Henceforth then we haue to breake our minde of affections Affection is a commocion of the minde disquieting the tranquility therof which in Greeke is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of Cicero Perturbatio a Perturbation and it is defined a troublesom and a violeÌ„t moode of the soule bended from reason an enemye to the minde and quiet life The Stoikes when as they saw a man to be turmoyled hither and thither with many and wicked desires and falsly supposed the very nature of man to be vncorrupted and not defloure dthey gainsaid affections to be naturall but graunted them to be only opinions eyther of good or yll and in theyr kinde euery one to be vicious and to be rooted out of the nature of menne from which they would a wise man to be fre yet they are easily conuicted of errour For first of al that they are Natiue and ingendred by that it is lightly confirmed because motions and certayne inclinations are ingraffed in liuyng creatures by nature as the Zeale of parentes towardes theyr Children And who seeth not som men to be more enclined to anger or loue to ioyfulnesse or heauinesse than other som Farthermore that all are not faultye thereby it is apparant inough by reason the very law of God geueth vs in charge to beare loue towarde him towarde all men towardes our wife children and parentes And enioyneth vs mercy hope confidence ioye and some other affections very profitable and expedient to encourage the minde For what is more commodious for the life of man than the hope of glory and rewardes and the feare of rebuke and punishments And so doubtles affctions may be handsomly diuided that som may be called good by nature which agre with reason or els with the prescript of nature as good will compassion Some euill which do disagrée as Hatred Enuy Pride Dispere Som betwixt bothe as anger hope boldnes feare desire loue merinesse sorow which that they may not swarue from â—ertue they are to be ruled by the briâ—ell of reason and to be Iudged by mediocrity But neither is that to be commended which som construed that affections are naturall not also voluntary For whereas our will onely subiect to God may apppeare to haue a free Originall to worke it is to be thought the very redinesse perdie vnto these or them and likewise the first motion to be naturall but theyr vexacions to be voluntary and able to be chastised by th' authority of reason lesse they should run headling and be plucked with violence eake inforce a man immediatly welny vnwillyng vnto naughtinesse Albeit truly at that time the will coueting doth range at liberty and by some meanes may reteine it if so she woulde inuocate God the helper For put case it be feeble yet there is some libertie whiche when shame feare are set out to the show may be of power to bridle the affections And that they can be corrected by discipline those wordes deliuered of God do manifestlie denounce Sub te erit appetitus tuus tu Dominaberis illi Vnder thee shal be thine apetite thou shalt beare rule ouer it Wheras also a man consisteth of two partes a Soule and a bodie and there is a double force of the soule one a copartner of reason the other void she is stedfast and quiet this wandring and tormented with affections whiche moste commonly doth disquiet her where by it insueth that a man if he doth pursue the aduise of reason and intelligence he may want perturbacion But if he had rather to become Subiecte vnto the concupiscence of the body he may be diuerslie prouoked The Fountaine then of affections is that part of the Soule voide of reason and that is double 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 waryng angry and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very desirous of a thinge The which if refusinge the Empire and Yoke of the minde and reason it be caried with his proper vehemencie it is needefull that forthwith one or other of the perturbations bee incensed and plucked throughe the opinion or similytude of good or yll sometimes bither and somtimes thither eke nowe and then be broughte all oute of frame with pleasure or luste and one while with timidity or hatred For vnto these twoo sortes it appeareth that any one of the affections may be referred because all mocions proceede from a suspicion of good or euill whether it be present or absent Out of the Iudgement of good floweth pleasure and out of the conceit of euill commeth sorow Vnto pleasure are referred loue desire gladnesse whiche succoure nature and among these especiallie ioy Vnto sorow appertaine anger hatred feare sadnesse which discommoditie Nature most painfully
by my simple labour and industry to gratifie and please the good than by suppressing my attempt cowardlie to flee the busie braines of the naughtie and reprobate Certes the wicked are to be abandoned with their wickednesse but the good are to be loued and cherished for their godlinesse The studious sercher of wisdom will more seriouslie pursue the holsom and necessarie instructions for life then the exquisite situation of words and will rather couet fruitfull lessons and good admonicions than sugred sentences oratorial trickes and outlandish termes But the vnstedfast and vnstable minde of the vicious person I will speake of a thinge manifestlie and commonlie knowne had leiffer to espy some friuolous doubte to cauell and Question vpon than to folow any seemelie aduertisment perfectlie staking out the waie to laudable Vertue Such a Reader as hath his good wil fully addicted to pastaunces and vnhappie delites had rather I dare say bothe to see and reade the brutish bookes of VENVS plaies than to spend his time and busie his braine in such a Treatise which may instruct and teache him to liue Prudentlie iustlie valiauntlie and soberlie with the honest Reader I trust I shall purchase fauoure and iust commendation and to the other this little worke shal be sufficient to teache him for to vanquish and bridle his vnfauorie delite in bourding to mittigate his furious braide of reprehencion to asswage the combe of his insolente Arrogancie to appease the rage of his skornefull spirite and finallie to make him not onlie a fitte Disciple or hearer but also a profitable follower of Morall Philosophie Verelie all estates all degrees all ages haue presently laide before their Eies to looke on the Glasse of all Vertue for as in a Glasse they may easelie contemplate what is decent or els vnseemely in their parsonage and apparell so by fastening their mindes and vnderstandinges herevpon they may with no lesse facilitee maâ—ke consider and beare away what is to be folowed in their whole course of life or vvhat is to be eschewed vvhat to be retained as good and profitable or vvhat to be reiected as vncoÌ„modious and hurtefull Such vvhether they be noble or base riche or poore old or yong as haue al their delices and corporall delites as fleshfondinges and paumperinges of the vitall porcion subiecte to the renovvned victorious bondage of REASON such I say haue here to gather aduisements and instructions profitable and expediente to ratifie and confirme their liues and others vvho like EPICVRTENS are vanquished vvith gorgious fare and ouervvhelmed buried and drovvned in the bottomlesse Gulffes of innumerable vanities haue hereby to reform their insestuous conuersacions to amend their notorious faultes to banish their toublesome woodes of minde to expell and put away their accustomed doinges and by adorninge them selues with the flourishinge Braunches of Vertue by litle and litle to creepe to the Fountaine of that greatest Soueraintie For assure thy selfe gentle Reader that no man liuing can attaine vnto the vtterest good as ARISTOTLE the Prince of al Philosophers doth say vnlesse he shall first subdue his apetites bridell his desires Imprison his lusts and confound his mad and bestiall affections through which nature is enfeebled and he withdrawen from the fellowship of goodnesse and honestie And that I may not borowe thy pacience any lenger I doo instantly request that if any part of this my Transacion shall offend thine eares thou wilt courtously deale with me rather considering the proper worthinesse and sence of the Aucthor whiche is moste excellence then my basenesse and tennitie of Stile for the default of Eloquence ¶ Fare well ¶ Holsome Counsell for a Christian man. Geue almes to the poore dayly Endure affliction quietly Remember thy end stedfastly Vtter Gods word manfully In all thinges worke rightfully Serue God and thy Prince duely Call for grace howerly Loue thy neighbours freendly Yeld to the truth meekely Fauour learning earnestly Trust in Christs mercy faithfully Obtaine thou friendship perfectly No man oppresse Wrongfully Cornelius Valerius his Morall Description lately Englisshed Of the ende and Partes of Morall Science Cap. i. EThica Philosophia which in Latin is called De Moribus Moralis the philosophie of maniers Morall is a meane to liue well either a Science to iudge vprightly of conditions and of the Actions and duties of common lyfe The Philosophers onely imitatyng the light of Nature Reason as their Guide haue deliuered it vnto vs diligeÌ„tly adorned whose whole industrie especially either is conuersaunt in the boultynge out and vnfoulding the perplexitie of Nature or els in the Doctrine of life and condicions Albeit perdy as CICERO writeth incontinent after a three parted kinde of Philosophie was receyued of PLATO the one of lyfe and Facions the other of Naturall and diffuse things the third of reasonyng and adiudgyng both what is true and what is false what is honest in talke or euill what is consonant what disagreable yet they haue pursued no member of Philosophy more exactly SOCRATES being the Author and Counsellour than that than which nothyng was more behoueable to passe humaine life delectably which traineth and fashioneth the properties of men and righteth all the operacions of lyfe by the Squire of Vertue that the way to liue honestly may be embraced that the opinions of men might be vprightly infourmed of commodious and hurtfull things honest filthy of matters to be desired auoided of thynges profitable and vnprofitable who oftentymes geuyng Sentence of these peruersly do preise good and euill not accordynge to their valuacion An vpright iudgement of diuine humain matters is the very gorgious reward of God For God both reising vp the brightnesse of our minde also the power of vnderstandinge darkened through the infectiue sicknesse of the body doth polish it with a new light eake redresseth our wil through his clemencie earst piteously depraued Wee being armed with these proppes may assaie to atchiue vnto the knowledge intelligence of trouthe There be some who deeme that the best proporcion of liuing ought rather to be gathered out of sacred Scriptures than out of prophane Philosophie which wee like wise would suppose to be more sure and certaine if those thinges were comprehended in those celestiall learninges vttred by the mouth of the Omnipotent which are descriued of Ethnical writers touching the Ciuill associacion of men among them selues the mainteining of the weale publike without whiche they who obey the precepts of God and the holy men are not of power to leade a peasible life Wherfore because the Philosophers ignorant verily of Christian Religion yet very studious of humain wisdom imitating that law of Nature engrauen from aboue in all mennes mindes haue geuen lawes profitable to leade the life vprightly and right excellent documents concerning maners with a constant and perpetual sentence of iust and wrongfull doinges and haue left vs graue sayings by which we may be encouraged to Vertue and terrified from vices and may
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to wit consideracion well to trade the faâ—ily either which is touchinge the preseruacion of housewifery affaire This respect is busied verely in the houshold as in the mattier which it handleth to whom that scope is propounded that it be wittelye gouerned for the worthinesse of euery parson Euery Family consisteth of two partes the man and the substaunce The man compriseth the Husband or the Maister the wife the Children the seruauntes But the substaunce conteyneth the house and worldly pealthe Let vs briefly reason of these orderly and let vs take beginning of the dutie of the good man of the house because he is the first Original of a Family to be ordained The Lorde of the place then whom we vnderstande by nature studious of freendship and affinity getting children ought both to know and be able to protecte the societie of his wife and Children and gently and curteously to rule ouer his both Children and Seruauntes of which they oftentimes are of a more honest nature these commonly of a more vile The family now constituted nourishment is to be sought for sustenance apparell and harborough whiche may defende vs from stormes and inrodes of Beastes Groundtilthe Huntinge Hawking Fishinge labour shall minister Foode Now whereas the goodman and wife are the cheefest and effeciente causes of Houshould and the Children and Seruauntes as it weare certaine Instrumentes and euerie one are conuersaunt in the house and substaunce as the mattier we in this place first formost will vtter a few wordes of them and then wee shall expresse the Offices of the persons a little before nominated Before all others a mansion place is to be sought for which the necessitie of life compelled men to Builde that they might haue whether to trudge as birdes into their Nestes Beastes into their couerts In the beginning houses were erected for a seruiceable vse forth with by littel and littel Ornamentes approched therto Especially a confideracion is to bee had of the profite and commodity and next of eche ones dignitie Ouermuche coste and hurtfull sumptuousnes it not to be admitted in building and that the house as he counseled want not ground The holesomnesse and fitnesse of place is to be viewed and manie moe which Victrunius and Philosophers who haue written de re familiari diligently haue expressed And hetherto recheth the discourse of the house henceforth wee ought to dispute of affaires apperteining to Familie That is either naturall and the worthieste of all as Husbandry Hunting Fishing Or els artificious which considereth gaine as traueiles trades throughe which the liuinge is adepted Besides there are others partly liberall partely seruile as the crafte of Painting as the drawinge of similitudes as the science of buildinge which are brought to perfection both by witte and trauaile Of these Artes which are many and chaungeable inuented for the diuers wantes of men the good man of the house ought to put that in practise in whiche he shall haue skill and should prouide sustenaunce honestly for him and his without pillinge and pollinge of any man He ought to auoyde incommodious and hatefull trades and ought to searche for the profitable The lucre of Vsurers and of Escheters or of such as do selfe any maner of thing for a forfaiture is odious Likewise the gaine of those Marchauntes who are enriched with forged tales is filthy which be the seruauntes of Delyces The maister of the house ought to preserue such things which are gotten ought to vse them temperatly and ought to vnderstande that it is not lesser cunninge to saue them than to procure them And these thinges haue wee compendiously made manifest touchinge the house and housholde prouision Now we will pursue the charges or offices of houshold dwellers and first of the good man of whom before we began to treate of His cheefeste regarde shal bee to marry a wife which is a companion and a copartner of life and goods honest prudent welny as riche as him selfe not proude nor more curious then néedeth or els waywarde whiche may bothe be loued and loue He shal intreate her no otherwise than him selfe a Leagfellow and a partener as of Seruice and Domesticall toyle so likewise of all casualties and affaires And perdie he shall loue her only ioigned vnto him with a bonde not able to be dissolued and as becommeth a free woman he shall not withhold her ouer rigorously if so that no iuste feare of Chastity doth interrupte Neither shall he handle her vnciuily but honestly godly comely courteously gentelly that he remember how he is a Christian man the head perdie of his wife but whome he oughte to tender as the halfe part of him selfe and permit her also to vse her certaine peculier right He shall traine vp the Children begotten of his wife diligently he shall fashion them to vertue and godlinesse beyng as yet tender and shal prouide them to be instituted with holsome and expedient trades he shal seeke his pelth by his owne trauell and industrie vertuously and without enuie and he shal keepe a commendable trade of clodding substance either by makyng of Contractes either by doyng of workes or els through more honest and better meanes to espie out riches and promocions whiche are verâ—… many he shall minister foode bothe to himself and his if necessitie shall vrge him to seeke If so be the wealth is not to be gotten with paynes takynge but is left of the parentes he shal protecte the same hedely he shal imploy costes wisely and moderatly an aduyse beyng had of the place and condition that neither he may be accompted a greedy gut nor an outragious spender and had leiffer at al season both to be recitened and also to be more liberal than couetous If the master hath seruauntes he shall know to vse them wel and he shal instruct them and shal freendly intreate them But if they being hyred for meed do faithfully serue he shal consider their paynes and shal exercise them in conuenieÌ„t trauel he shal not fatigate them and he shal nourish them as it becommeth he shal see vnto them as the necessarie instrumentes of the house and he shal keepe them in awe nor shal permit them to be aduaunced arrogantly He shal pay them gentely their couenant at due time If there shal be many seruantes they are to be preferreâ— either to a more excellent or vyler office as ech ones capacitie requireth The wyfe ought to respecte the house painefully and dayly and ought to be present at domesticall doynges she ought to marke the chayres of her seruantes she ought to reuerence her husbande not curst and snappish but pudique and she ought to keepe cleanly both her maydes and children and al the rest pliant and peasible in their office She ought not to be stately not sumptuous nor yet beastly but appareled with decent attier accordyng to habilitie Her chiefest regard ought to be in bringyng vp her children honestly She
whiche wee know to be reproued not only of Christians but also of prophane Philosophers and ignoraÌ„t of our Religion who imitatynge the rule of nature did iudge it better to suffer than to commit iniurie because that may be done iustly and this cannot be accomplished without iniustice as Aristotle also learneth in his .v. booke of Ethikes That likewise may be attributed to pacience doubtlesse an excellent vertue this perdie to the contrarie vice Neither truly ought any man to thinke that any other talke is ministred than that he may repel force by force if it may not be eschewed and that for to defend not to damage or els to reuenge for a minde to discommodite breaketh iustice the leiful reuengement is committed of God vnto the Magistrates which be the ministers of lawes but withholden from priuate persons vnto whom no title of punishinge is attributed Of Thanke Cap. xxiij THanke whiche vsually is called gratitudo kindenesse is saieth Cicero in whiche the memorie of the frendshippes and frendly tournes of another man and a good will to repay another is comprehended The same man telleth Thanke is which ought to vse obseruaunce in the remembrance and recompence of duties and honours and frendships It is more compendiously descriued A faithful memory of a thankfull minde Or els a desier mindefull to doo one good turne and pleasure for another and perhaps it is defined more fitly by reason this vertue is conuersant in receauynge rather than in geuynge For to geue is a pointe of liberalitie To receyue with a good will and to be willinge to repay is the propertie of thanke It is his parte to forget the benefit bestowed nor to wayte for a recompence And to this man it belongeth to remember hit and wher oportunitie geueth occasion with an ouerplus also if he may and he ought to thinke the reward wel to be placed and to be willyng to render the same redily and yet to retayne a perpetual reporte of the pleasure exhibited On bothe the partes héede is to be taken that the thing which either is geuen or restored be profitable and commodious for him to whom it is geuen or restored and iust fully gotten lesse we should be liberal and grateful on another maÌ„s purse The vice repugnant to kindenesse is commonly termed ingratitude which may be defined a forgetfulnesse of a good turne receyued and either an vnwillyng thanke or none or els whiche is worst of all a displeasure requited whiche is the cheefest iniustice than whiche nothyng can be more hateful to all men Of Compassion Cap. xxiiij COmpassion a moste acceptable vertue to God is thought good aptely to be annected vnto these For as we do owe Loue truth and faith to al men godlinesse to few reuengement to such as do wrong kindenesse to them as deserue wel so are we bounde to shewe mercie vnto them which suffer afflictions I cal not compassion verily in this place Agritudinem a heauinesse or els as Seneca a vice of the mindes ouer muche fauouringe wretchednesse but a vertue through which the mind is pricked with the miseries and calamities of another man to succour the oppressed Compassion is defined of Cicero a greef through anothers aduersity Of Seneca in his bookes De Clemencia a smart of the minde or els a sorowfulnesse conâ—eyued by other mens harmes whiche â—e déemeth to chance to the vndeseruing â—ut he indeuoreth to prooue that this is â—vice in these wordes Then the wise â—an shal not haue compassion but shall â—de but shall profite borne for a comâ—on helpe and a publike vtility wherâ—f he shal reache a porcion vnto euerye â—ne Yet we as it is declared do vnâ—erstande compassion a vertue vnto which Christe encourageth vs after the example of his heauenly father and his â—wne in the .6 of Luke which can be reâ—owned sufficiently with no praises at any season and truely is highly commended to vs in holy Scriptures For what earthly wight can at the least conceyue in minde much lesse depaint in oracion the infinite mercy of God the father and Christe our Sauiour This vertue exalteth a manne to blessednes Christ calleth the merciful Beatos blessed because they shal receyue mercy in the .5.9 .12 of Mathew of whom Cap. 25. six duties of mercy breefely are propounded Of liberality and vices contrary to this Auarice and Prodigality Cap. xxv CIcero in his first booke of offices maketh liberality the other braunch of Iustice the which same he termeth both bountifulnes also benignity the which seemeth not vnhandesomly in this place to bée annected to the former parts of Iustice For althoughe this vertue is placed in geuing not as they in restoring what is due whiche same seemeth to be proper vnto Iustice yet because it spreadeth abrode her selfe vnto others as Iustice doth eke considereth the vtility of men it shal be leiful to situate it amonge the members of Iustice Liberality may be defined a beneficiall good will to gratify or els a liberal desire to merite wel of som person This is conuersaunte as Cicero telleth in the vse of Money the which to bestowe honestly and as it oughte with a frée and godly minde is proper to liberality For firste of all a franke consent of the geuer is required lesse throughe an opinion of profite the mind be restreigned from doing good Therfore we muste geue by reason we knowe it to be acceptable vnto God waiting for no rewarde We muste deale wittely when the cause and time shall postulate to him on whom the gift is worthely bestowed which wil not abuse the same vnto destruction either his owne or els of others and we must geue part of our proper goods not of another mans For liberality oughte to discommodity no man but profit them as are worthye of a benefite And we must geue according to the worthinesse of eche one and deserte and rather to a needy creature than a rich Carle not as much as perchaunce thou wouldest but so muche as thou maist least liberalitie turne into the vice of outragious spendinge and thou afterwardes beginne to want and be troblesom to thy friends and lose pleasure who is the companion of vertue and contrarywise reteyne sorow the leaguefellow of viciousnes And albeit riche men can with lesse trauaile perfourm the duty of liberality yet the lesse hability may also become liberall whose bountious good wil ought more to be considered than the benefite it selfe Cicero in his second booke of duties doth ratify two sortes of liberality One through which any man succoureth him who néedeth with Argente The other by which he aideth with trauel or counsel There be two vices vnlike to liberality couetousnes and niggardship and prodigality and riotousnes of which she is the defecte of liberality but this the excesse bexwixt which vices liberalitie is situated Auarice is defined a superfluus gredinesse of money which being coldded together carefully for their auaile the vnsaciable persons do pleasure neither â—hemselues